EnRICHment

Yesterday was our council's Volunteer Enrichment Conference. In the past only those in Service Unit Leadership positions attended this conference. This year they opened it up to everyone. Leaders, parents, volunteers - everyone. When they announced that I thought it was just weird. Even those who are required to go don't want to go. Why would we subject that event on our parents?
It was in my first session that I understood why. It was the only session that the new vision was well explained, and it's the one session I was almost sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know more. See, in our area the word "council" has kind of a negative connotation. In the last year we have a new CEO who has set out a new vision for our council. This new vision gives a new definition to the word "council". It took me several tries to fully understand the word's new meaning, but here it is.
Council - All persons involved in Girl Scouts of Central Texas
That is a huge mentality shift for our area. Not only is it a shift in who is council, but in the attitude of our council. It's shifting from an "us vs. them" mentality (volunteers vs. staff) to one of us. Everyone working together for the same goal. No more of "well this is so and so's job". As I sit here and think about it I wonder where we lost the focus of keeping our eye on the prize and working so cooperatively. We all want the same thing. We all want to work toward developing strong girls. We all have different talents in order to achieve that goal, and we all need to allow each other to use those talents for that goal. I can't say that this change is because of any one person. I can say that every staff member I talked to has this mentality shift. Every staff member wanted to partner with me to develop strong girls. They were attentive to my thoughts and ideas. I watched them reading my body language and looking for my strengths as well as looking for where they could support me. More importantly, the plan includes the girls. The plan include bringing the girls along on this journey. Opportunities for the girls to follow the same learning model that I use in my classroom. One of introduction to skill, acquisition of skill, practicing skills, mastering skills, and then teaching the skill. It's one where girls can grow and become leaders within their community. Where they have a safe place to learn how to become those leaders. "I can't wait to..." see where this vision takes us all!