Many female Iowa State students may remember their Girl Scout

experiences selling cookies, camping, crafting projects and having fun with

friends. But what ISU students may not know is they can become a part of

Girl Scouts again — as adult volunteers.

June Wayne, the immediate past service unit manager for Girl Scout

activities in Ames and Gilbert, said local Girl Scout troops appreciate the

volunteer efforts of college women.

“Off and on we have women from Iowa State volunteer to become leaders

or to help out with our troops and they are always excellent volunteers for

us,” Wayne said.

Bertha Sadler, membership services director for the Moingona Girl Scout

Council, which serves 11,000 girls in a 28 county area and includes the

Ames and Gilbert Girl Scouts, said the council is looking for approximately

1,900 women and men ages 18 and older to fill volunteer positions.

The council recruits volunteers to be troop leaders, interest group

coordinators, workshop facilitators, fund raisers, translators, program

consultants, mentors, chaperones and advisers, Sadler said. The council

recruits during the spring in order to have volunteers when the girls

return in the fall.

During the summer months, the troops may meet individually for pot

lucks, trips to amusement parks or to go camping at Camp Sacajawea in

Boone, Wayne said, but most troops don’t officially hold scheduled meetings

until August or September when they set up weekly, biweekly or monthly

meetings until May.

Sadler said both men and women are welcome to volunteer, but said they

prefer to place women in the roles of troop leaders.

“Since we are serving girls, we prefer to have women act as group

leaders because they are the role models for girls,” Sadler said.

She said men serve on the Girl Scout Council board of directors and as

assistant leaders, but stressed that not all volunteers need to be troop

leaders.

“Girl scouting is delivered to girls through the troop structure but

there are other ways to organize the girls who participate and we encourage

volunteers to contact us who are looking for short term opportunities as

well as those looking for long term volunteer activities,” Sadler said.

“We depend on our volunteers for almost everything we do,” Wayne said.

“We encourage anyone who is interested to contact local troops for

volunteer opportunities.”

Sadler said interested persons can contact her at the Girl Scout

Service Center located at 10715 Hickman Road, Des Moines, Iowa, 50322-3733

or by phone at 1-800-342-8389 or (515) 278-2881.

---

Copyright 1995 by the Iowa State Daily Publications Board. All rights reserved.

No redistribution without the express written consent of the Iowa State Daily Editor in Chief.