Congratulations to our Volunteer of the Month, Laura Lucas of Blount County! Learn more about Laura, her Girl Scout journey, and the difference she has seen Girl Scouting make.

What is your occupation? Like most mothers, I have more than one occupation, one that I receive a paycheck for and the others I do just because I love them. For a living, I’m an Administrative Specialist and because I’m lucky, I’m a wife and a mother of three. To top it off, I’m also a Girl Scout leader of twelve, with my trusty Co-Leader in crime, Tracy Cook.

Hobbies? I actually have a lot of hobbies and luckily for the troop, most of them revolve around things that coincide with troop activities: Crafting, helping the community, camping, kayaking, photography, just to list a few.

How long have you been a Girl Scout volunteer? Three years, which is when our troop formed, and it has been a great journey learning how to be a leader with these girls. With each new activity or event, we learn what works, what doesn’t and where we can improve. The girls inspire me to want to continue on this journey with them for as long as they will allow me too.

Why did you get started as a Girl Scout volunteer? Three years ago, in a school cafeteria sat four little girls learning about Girl Scouts, and of course they all wanted to join but didn’t have a troop to call home. After a lengthy discussion with the moms, Tracy volunteered to be the “Assistant Leader” if someone else would volunteer. Looking around the table and telling myself not to do it, I opened my mouth, and out came “I’ll do it” …I mean, how could I not after seeing those puppy dog eyes, from girls and moms alike.

What are your goals for volunteering with Girl Scouts? My goal is to keep the girls safe while helping them step out of their comfort zone so they can learn and try new things. Every day I hope that we’re providing proper guidance for the girls and assisting them in acquiring lifelong skills. Whether it be teaching them about the importance of helping our community while cleaning our neighborhood park, or teaching them how to crack open an egg, these are just two little skills that will help them throughout their life.

Favorite memory associated as a volunteer? Though we’ve only been established for three years, I love nothing more than watching them grow! In the past few months, we’ve had a Daisy who wouldn’t say much to anyone other than her sister, blossom and now doesn’t shy away as much. Just this this past weekend while attending her first camp event she wrote her own Girl Scout song and sang it to us while on a hike. What a transformation to witness!

Were you a Girl Scout growing up? If so, share a favorite memory. I was a Girl Scout growing up, and my strongest memory is being a Brownie selling cookies door to door in my neighborhood, and yes, I actually had a little red wagon full of cookies. 

Volunteer Pro Tip(s)? The best tip I can offer is don’t be afraid to ask for guidance, especially if you are new to the world of Girl Scouts. Other leaders you meet, your Service Unit leaders, and your Experience Manager are all great resources.

What do you think is the most important/valuable thing about Girl Scouts? I’d have to say that I believe the most important thing is learning to be confident in one’s self. Because having that will lead you to so many other valuable things, like making friends or not giving up in school because it might be difficult at the moment. Helping them learn to be confident in themselves at a young age will help them soar as an adult.

How have you seen girls benefit from Girl Scouts? Our Juniors are growing as leaders by helping out the younger girls before they work on their activities as well as stepping out of their comfort zones a little more this year. We couldn’t be prouder of our girls stepping up to try new things this year! Proudly, our troop now has five chorus members (one Brownie), one cheerleader, four student council members, two 4-H members, and one school mascot. Several of the girls are even planning to tryout next month for the school musical! They have been asking to learn and trying so many new things, we can only hope to keep up with the request.