Welcome!

Hi, I’m so happy you stopped by!  I’m {flattered} and {humbled} at the same time.  My name is Jen aka Strawberry Jen (straw/Jen/berry) and I am a mom and Girl Scout Leader in California.  I was inspired, no compelled, to write this blog. Why?  Because I was contacted by dozens of leaders, asking for resources on blogging, organizing and creating troop documents. They had stumbled upon my troop calendar on Scribd, or my troop blog (gstroop1949.blogspot.com), or wondered about graphics and fonts I used.  I was happy to help and flattered (there’s that word again) to be asked to share. Then, I began seeing my stuff pinned on Pinterest! {honored!} I love, love creating graphics, logos, spreadsheets, templates, etc. for every facet of my life, but most of all for Girl Scouts.

In my four-going-on-five years being a leader, I scoured the web for ideas…ideas to make badge earning streamlined and time-efficient. Ideas for how to choose activities that fit into the scope of time, budget and effectiveness of my troop.  Most of us are mothers, have jobs and other interests with Girl Scouts being just one part of the whole pie. From the beginning I felt bogged down in detail.  There is a wealth of information and resources available from council trainings, the web, other leaders, etc. but what was the best way to gather and weed through it all?  As leaders, we all have different strengths and weaknesses.  Some of us are good at camping, some at sewing, some at community service and others at mentoring.  I asked myself, “where is the nitty gritty?”  What is the best way to manage troop time between outings earning participation patches and meetings earning badges?  How many council activities should we participate in? How do you engage parents to participate?  How do you deal with behavior issues that resurface?  At times I felt like I was flailing in the dark, finding out things randomly through word-of mouth or stumbling upon something at the last minute.

I don’t claim to be an expert at anything other than doing my best.  I was a Girl Scout Junior for three years and I can’t count the multitude of ways it enriched my life.  I came from a household full of dysfunction, my parents had issues with alcohol abuse. Girl Scouts (along with church and loving grandparents) filled the gaps that were missing.  Girl Scouts made me believe in myself and in turn believe in Girl Scouts!  That’s what this blog is all about, a way for me to give back.  A way for me to help leaders, in any small way I can.  I hope that visitors will find something helpful to take away from “I am Girl Scouts.”  Or, even better, if you have something to contribute, I welcome guest bloggers.

As a mother of a 9-year-old daughter and two older sons, I’m honored to carry on the tradition of leadership.  I love Girl Scouts! I live Girl Scouts!  I am Girl Scouts…and so are you.  So are the many women, girls and families that are a part of such a great institution.