Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

When Girl Scouts of Nassau County was named by AARP to be one of the 50 Best Places to Work in the United States, it merely confirmed what I’ve known for some time—that there is something very special about this place, and I count myself lucky to work here.  But what is it that sets us apart from so many other (the 50 choices came from companies big and small, for-profit, and not-for-profit)? Well, for one thing, there is an incredible team work ethic. [Note: I didn’t say ‘teamwork.’ There’s a difference.] It’s not just that people can play nice together when they work on a project. That’s a given. Staff here sees the entire corporate structure as a team, employees and volunteers alike. But day to day, what is it like to work here?  After all, no place is perfect, people get in a snit with one another sometimes, and there are other kinks too, but still . . .  First (and perhaps most important) is the balancing act where management achieves a sort of equilibrium between the needs of th...

How many back to school essays begin just this way…   The Girl Scouts of Nassau County stayed on the move… Summer Camp kept girls and their counselors active and involved.  The new Low Ropes Course at Camp Blue Bay provided athletic challenges, but it is really all about teaching problem solving and teamwork.  Recent upgrades to the Activity Building allowed girls to now be able to hear themselves think while they play. – Although June and July had lots of rain, our Day Campers at Cantiague and Wantagh Parks were able to spend most of their days in the park, with just a few calls to the “rainy day” location.  Each of our Day Camps benefit from the great swimming pools in their respective parks, and the Nassau County Parks Department staffers who extend themselves to the Girl Scouts …I salute our colleagues and our Camp Counselors for all they do to further the Girl Scout Mission, and I thank the parents who trust us with the care and guidance of their girls. GSNC also provided Girl S...

On Monday, August 10th, Girl Scouts of Nassau County held its 25th annual “ Go for the Green ” Golf Outing. It always amazes me what golfers will endure for their sport. In the 9 years that I have been supporting this event, weather has always been a factor. If it is not hot, in the high 90’s, there is a chance of rain or the humidity is oppressive. Not to mention the freak hail storm we had last year. Yesterday was no exception. Still the golfers come! Golfers are an interesting breed of athletes. What is so amazing is the passion that they bring with them. The passion for the game of golf and for the cause they are supporting. When I think about our honoree, Jim Adelis of Adelis International Security who brought his own brand of passion to GSNC Operation Cookie and then to the golf outing by accepting the role of honoree, I am overwhelmed. He then reached out to his family, friends and colleagues to support the event and the work of GSNC. Anthony Martillotti and Stephen Grieco of ...

Recently I received a mailing from a nearby friend about buying Girl Scout cookies, and I had to pause. No, not over the fact that soon I’d soon have some yummy Thin Mints to munch. Instead, I marveled over the realization that Girl Scouts of Nassau County is now in its 97th year. Nearly a century later – in a post-feminist world, no less – the Girl Scouts of Nassau County is still thriving.   Ninety-seven years is a long time. And in that stretch, women have accomplished a lot: Think women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, the first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, designer Vera Wang, Olympic Gold Medal Skater Dorothy Hamill, each of them Girl Scouts alumnus. You get the picture. Women are world-class leaders in virtually every field imaginable, from government to business to sports and beyond.   These days, you don’t have to look far to find inspirational trailblazers. Many moms are busy juggling rewarding careers while also running their homes. The result? Girls c...

You may have noticed that we as a Council have warmly embraced a new way of communicating with our supporters, troop leaders, and Girl Scouts of Nassau County past and present. That’s right, we’ve jumped on board the social media bandwagon! Now, you can find us on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter . You’ll see that we’ve tried to be more interactive on these sites and our website by adding video and audio podcasts. And, even more so, we’ve started this blog as yet another way to reach out to our community. As always, thank you for reading! As a fun adventure, we thought it would be entertaining to put together what we have coined, “The Great Girl Scout Trivia Contest.” Each week for 6 weeks, we will announce a trivia question via our Twitter and Facebook Fan Page sites. To play along simply answer the trivia question. If you answer correctly, you will be eligible to win a Girl Scout goodie bag which includes two boxes of our famous Girl Scout Cookies . Answers and wi...

Every summer since I was 7 years old has always had one similarity. It isn’t barbequing on the fourth of July or going on vacations with my family, it was spending a few weeks at the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s camp, Camp Blue Bay . As I am now preparing for my fourth year on staff and my thirteenth summer spent at the camp I can’t believe some girls never get to experience the fun a sleep away camp provides. Memories of this camp are ones that I will always hold dear in my heart.   Camp Blue Bay and the activities that are done there are based on what Girl Scouts wants to build in girls; “Courage, Confidence and Character” and I know I have gained all three plus many other traits that have shaped me into the person I am today. Knowing that last years staff consisted of fourteen women who started out as campers; shows how much of a family atmosphere the camp provides and the best part is; it’s not hard to feel at home there. When girls arrive at the camp they immediately get to kn...

The past few weeks have been abuzz with Girl Scout awards events.  In addition to our big Girls Scouts of Nassau County Gold Award Ceremony on June 14th where we honored 74 girls, we were part of County Executive Tom Suozzi’s salute to this year’s Girl Scout Gold Award and Boy Scout Eagle Scouts, and a similar event hosted by Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray.  These were all fun occasions that showcase the best and brightest of our girls. These events give girls the recognition that they know how to start a project and see it through to the end --- even if the “end” turns out to be different from how that project was first envisioned. The Girl Scout Gold Award recognizes intention, perseverance and success.    Equally as much fun as the big events, members of the Girl Scout Board and staff have also had a dozen or more invitations to be part of awards and bridging events in Associations and even for a few very polished Troops. Participating in these events gives us a chance ...