- Geri Stengel, "Why Girl Scouts Become Entrepreneurs"
I came across this article today, and it really resonated with me. And because there are many of us whose lives have been touched by a Girl Scout in some way--personal experience as a scout, a mother who led a troop, or a sincere appreciation for those yearly cookie sales--I thought I'd share it here.
I was a Girl Scout for roughly 8 years. I started in Brownies (Daisy levels had not yet been introduced. Yes, I know I'm dating myself!) and made it as far as the Cadette ranking. After finishing my first year in high school, however, I became too busy with other activities to continue. If I remember correctly, I wasn't the only one--the troop disbanded about the same time.
Looking back, I wish I had stuck with it. My troop had some really good times. We enjoyed crafting, camping, helping others, and serving our community. And we learned about respect, selflessness, and friendships.
A couple of memorable moments include sneaking out of latrine duty at camp and tipping over my buddy burner--a cooking contraption utilizing a metal coffee--and dumping scalding grease on my arm. I also remember laughing with some of my best friends and feeling as if I belonged somewhere...a great feat for a pre-teen and teenager.
Do I believe my experiences as a Girl Scout contributed to my tendency toward entrepreneurship as the article claims? Now that I stop to think about it, I suppose they probably do. And since I just read the article, and I'm sure I'll give this even more consideration. Points #2 and #5 for sure. Probably the others, too.
I now have a 6-year-old who is a Daisy. While it's too soon to determine whether she'll take an entrepreneurial path (right now it looks as if school teacher, ballet dancer, and librarian are the forerunners), I do hope that she has the opportunity to learn the same type of life skills in Scouts that I did.
But enough of my drivel. Here's the article:
Why Girl Scouts Become Entrepreneurs
