Today, I want to give a shout out to my friend Monica Benoit-Beatty, the new COO of the Central Texas Girl Scouts of America. The GSA has played a critical role in the the development of the moral character of young women, myself included. It is where we learned about hard work, valuing others, developing personal skills, collaborating and honoring our country. Below is an essay written by Monica on the value of an organization dedicated to the character development of our next generation of women leaders. We cheer you and the GSA on to greater accomplishments, Monica!
The Importance of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
The modern Girl Scout leadership experience allows for the personal development of today’s young women to be educated and empowered as they focus on three vital principals: discovering, connecting and taking action in the world around them. By discovering and understanding their personal values, they use their knowledge and skills to explore the world. Connecting with other girls who are also concerned about emerging issues allows them to take effective action to make a personal, local or global impact on a particular issue that benefits their respective community.
From concept to proven results, young girls are learning vital life skills for personal success as they become the emerging voices and leaders of tomorrow. Whether it’s through personal dreams, career goals or community causes (or all three), the process and effect of today’s Girl Scouting experience helps to develop confident young women, resilient decision makers and outstanding role-models who are capable of leading themselves and others during uncertain times and unchartered territories.
Girl Scouts impart vital, life-long tenets such as personal values, empathy, morals, character, goal setting, money management, people skills and business ethics that are too often lacking in today’s society. Learning how to make responsible decisions and personal choices that do not harm others today will favorably improve women’s sustainability as a critical participant in future societal advancement. Decisions made in haste and without proper consideration often have far reaching and unintended, negative effects in today’s tightly woven global community.
Many times, learning how to empathize, compromise and collaborate during times of impasse or stalemates helps to develop critical adult skills of reasoning, communication and decision-making for the benefit of the greater good. Respectfully and calmly considering differing points of view helps to overcome and resolve controversial issues, both home and abroad.
The combination of the above traits and years of training helps Girl Scout members to refine and create a strong internal compass of self-confidence and self-esteem while building a strong foundation for becoming effective, participatory adults and future leaders who will positively transform the world. To borrow a saying from UT, “What starts in Girl Scouts, changes the world!”
Monica Benoit-Beatty
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