Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) announced it is seeking more adult volunteers. The announcement follows the release of a Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) video featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, honorary national president of Girl Scouts, sharing her support of volunteering with Girl Scouts. The video was released Sunday, September 29th in conjunction with GSUSA's launch of its national recruitment campaign, "I can't wait to..." and National Recruitment Week, September 30-October 5, 2013.
"Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do in Girl Scouting," said Denise Dalrymple, CEO of GSSEM. "They deliver our programs to girls. They mentor and support them as they earn badges and awards. Girl Scouts is a great opportunity to get involved for anyone who wants to help a girl reach her full potential," she said.
Dalrymple said that the shortage of adult volunteers in the GSSEM council region, which covers Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac and parts of Wayne, Monroe and Livingston Counties, makes providing Girl Scouting experiences very challenging. "Traditionally, girls joined troops and the troop leader did all of the legwork to plan activities, oversee the badge and awards earning process, and more," Dalyrmple explained. "Today, parents and guardians work full-time, and have other responsibilities that make being a Troop Leader seem impossible. Still they still want their daughters to have a meaningful Girl Scouting experience, and we need volunteers to help bring that to them.”
GSSEM offers short-term, even one-day, volunteer opportunities targeted toward professionals, college students and any other adults with limited availability to volunteer. Volunteers can facilitate an eight-week series with the curriculum provided by Girl Scouts, create their own one-day workshop focused on their area of expertise, or simply work registration at a large one-day event.
"We understand that in order to engage adults and girls in the wonderful benefits that Girl Scouts offers, we have to be flexible. Troops and troop leaders have not gone away, but there are more options so that every girl and every adult who wants to be involved in Girl Scouting has the opportunity to do so,” Dalrymple concluded.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities with Girl Scouts, visit on to www.gssem.org/join.
Following National Recruitment Week, GSSEM is also hosting I Can’t Wait To Blasts in all council store locations, October 7-10, 2013, where prospective and new Girl Scout members and volunteers can find out more information about the organization and volunteer opportunities. These events are designed to help parents get started in guiding their daughter’s flexible Girl Scout experience, and for adults to learn more about the flexible volunteer options, all in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
Event schedule:
- October 7 White Lake, 3p-7p—8545 Highland Road, White Lake, MI
- October 8 Detroit, 3p-7p—3011West Grand Blvd. (Fisher Bldg. 1st floor)
- October 9 Clinton Township, 3p-7p—42800 Garfield, Clinton Twp., MI
- October 10 Port Huron, 3p-7p—2186 Water Street, Port Huron, MI
About GSSEM
Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) is the local council chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to facilitate the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), designed to help girls develop leadership skills through three key elements—Discover, Connect and Take Action. Each element has a set of five outcomes including girls develop a strong sense of self (Discover); girls develop healthy relationships (Connect); and girls can identify community needs (Take Action).
GSSEM serves nearly 40,000 girls and adult volunteers in Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, and parts of Wayne, Monroe and Livingston Counties. GSSEM provides a girl-led, girl-centered, fun-filled quality leadership experience.
