1.  “This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.  There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.  Somebody got angry about this because it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

 

2.  “A little girl watched her mother prepare a roast for dinner.  Before putting it into the pan, her mother chopped off a small piece on the end of the roast.  The little girl asked her why and the answer was, “Because that’s the way my mom always did it”.  So the little girl went to her grandmother and asked why she chopped off the end of the roast before putting it into the pan, and the answer again was “Because that’s the way my mom always did it”.  Finally the little girl went to her great-grandmother and asked her why she always cut off the end of the roast before putting it into the pan, and the answer was “Because that’s the only way it would fit the pan”.”

 

Is there a point to these stories?  Absolutely…

 

FIRST:  I’m hoping that we will all see ourselves in the story of Everybody, Somebody, Nobody and Anybody.  Our Service Unit is only as active as its volunteers.  Every one of us leads a busy life.  Most of us work outside the home; we have husbands and children and homes to care for.  However, we need to remember that we are an organization for girls, about girls, and to serve girls.  We can and must show them by our actions how to be great leaders. 

 

SECOND:  We’ve got to stop cutting off the end of the roast because that’s the way Mom always did it.  For our organization to stay fresh and contemporary, we need the leadership of the Service Unit to change from time to time.  Because you have daughters in the schools and the Girl Scout organization, you can keep us modern and up to date in our thinking and activities.  And no one wants to feel “stuck” doing the same job year after year.

 

We all know girls have a myriad of activities from which to choose to spend their after-school, free time.  The older they get, the more activities they have and the less free time.  One of our goals as leaders is to make Girl Scouts an enjoyable, meaningful, learning experience; and to provide them with a well-rounded program to help them mature.  Sometimes this may mean stepping beyond the troop setting and chairing or working on a committee, or taking a position on the Service Team.

 

As a troop leader nearly 20 years ago, I did my turn as SU Cookie Captain, SU Co-Chair / Registrar, SU Chairman, Organizer, and Delegate.  For most of the past 10 years, you’ve known me as the Registrar.  Now I have volunteered once again to take on the role of Service Unit Chairman for 2005-2006, along with the Registrar duties.  Somewhere in the past, our SU Chairs have taken on more responsibility than the job requires and I believe it’s time to return some of that responsibility to you – the troop leaders.  Therefore,

 

·   I will put together an agenda and run the monthly meetings.

·   I will see that as troop leaders you have the tools you need to be successful in your role.

·   I will continue in the role of Registrar until someone comes forward to take over that job.

·   I will not chair committees nor will I organize them.

·   I will expect you, the troop leaders, to step up and take on the responsibility of organizing, chairing, planning and carrying out Service Unit events that you want to have this year.  Invite other leaders, your co-leaders and other registered adult volunteers to work on these committees with you.

·   I will expect the committee chairs to provide regular status reports, a budget, and keep me informed of any issues before they become problems.

·    I will post meetings, deadlines, etc. on the website.  It will be your responsibility to check the website for news.   Pam Noldan has done an outstanding job creating a website for our Service Unit.  This website does not cost us a penny.  We will use it.  The address is:

    www.woodlandgs.org

·   I will not send e-mails to remind you of upcoming activities (unless you don’t have access to a computer – then you will get a newsletter OR there is important news you need immediately).

·   I will require troop leaders to turn in registrations, volunteer apps, reference forms, Troop Trip Forms, Year End Financial Reports, Reservation forms and monies, and any other forms as required on time.  We expect it of our troop members; I expect it of our leadership.

·   I will not ask you to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself in your place.

 

COMMITTEES AND EVENTS:

 

Pam Noldan and Nancy Wiser have already volunteered to chair the Bridging Ceremony Committee.  I hope when they reach out to the Service Unit for help planning the Bridging Ceremony that Everybody will cheerfully join them and make the Ceremony a memorable one for the girls and their parents.

 

I would hope that the tradition of Trim-A-Tree at the Greenwood Public Library will continue.  This is an event that Woodland Girl Scouts have been doing for more than 50 years.  Somebody will need to volunteer to act as Chairman and pull together a committee and arrange for volunteers to work the event. 

 

This was the year for our Service Unit camporee, but I understand a reservation didn’t get submitted in time for a fall camporee.  I don’t know whether there is time to reserve space for a spring camporee.  Once again, Somebody will have to volunteer to chair and pull together a committee to plan and work the camporee, if we choose to have one this year or next year.

 

We’ve had a Father/Daughter Dance every February for as long as my daughters have been in Girl Scouts.  If we want to continue this event, will Anybody volunteer to take on this chairmanship and form a committee to plan and work the Dance?

 

If Nobody steps up, we will have a dull, un-EVENT-ful Scout Year!

 

TRAININGS, ETC.

 

New troop leaders are required to take two trainings the first year of leadership:  Age Level Training and New Leader Training.  But there are many other trainings available; and I strongly encourage you to take part in as many as you can fit into your schedule.  You truly will learn to be a better leader; and by participating you will meet other leaders from around the Council with whom you can share ideas. 

I would like to revive something this year:  Open Forum Discussions of issues, forms, whatever, that as a troop leader you will have to deal with.  I would like to see this happen after the regular meeting and the subject will be part of the agenda.  For example, what to do when one of your drivers has an accident on the way to an off-site Girl Scout related event.  Do you know?  (Hint:  It’s covered in Safety Wise)

 

I would also like to see us do a service unit service project.  In the past, we have participated in the Salvation Army clothing drive, collected tin cans to recycle for Riley Hospital, anything that made us work as a Service Unit – girls as well as adults.  There are always service projects in the Happenings, but I would love something in Greenwood or Johnson County.   Suggestions will be welcome. When my daughter lost her baby in March, the hospital gave her the hand-crocheted receiving blanket he was wrapped in.  It means a great deal to her – and it was provided by volunteers like you.

 

I am doing away with snacks served at the meetings.  Yes, it’s nice to have something to nibble and drink while business is being conducted; but, it makes a mess and requires cleaning up afterward.  My day starts early and I want to get home as soon as possible after a meeting, not spend an extra 30 minutes sweeping the floor and cleaning tables.

 

Your children are always welcome at our meetings.  As a single mom, I know how difficult it is to find some one to watch little ones while you attend a meeting.  I will ask them to be as quiet as possible and not disrupt the meetings.  Also, the schools require us to keep children under control and not allow them to wander around the buildings. 

My goal is to have an agenda, and stick to it.  Each meeting will include a treasurer’s report, committee reports, Council news, new business, and our open forum discussion.  Hopefully, we can do this in about 1 to 1½ hours. It will require Everybody’s cooperation and attention to stay focused on the business at hand.  Respect for yourself and others is part of the Girl Scout Law.

 

Share our website with your troop members and their parents.  There is information for them out there as well as for the leaders and Service Team.  Talk to Pam about setting up your troop’s web-page.

 

2005-2006 can be a great year with everyone’s cooperation, willingness to step up and volunteer to do just a bit more, and working as a team to make Woodland Service Unit the great Girl Scout organization it is.

 

Sharon Williams, Chairman/ Registrar

My home e-mail address is:

svw1791@sbcglobal.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

 

·         Service Team – July 28

·         Service Unit - August 11

·         Service Unit - September 8

·         September 20 - ON TIME REGISTRATION ENDS (?)

·         Service Unit - October 13

·         Service Unit - November 10

·         December 3 – Trim-A-Tree (?)

·         No December Service Unit Mtg