Troop Leader Spotlight: May 2024
May 10, 2024
[Pictured from left to right: Fawn Angel, Jo Dee Nicosia, Tabatha McCallum]
Meet Fawn Angel, Jo Dee Nicosia and Tabatha McCallum. These three amazing troop leaders were nominated by their peers for their dedication and outstanding leadership. Troop leaders work hard every day to deliver a high quality Girl Scout Leadership Experience for girls.
Fawn Angel, Troop 50534
Time Volunteering: 10 years
Service Unit: 636 Silver Forest
Favorite Girl Scout Cookies®: Do-si-dos
What are three things you wish you could tell yourself when you first became a troop leader?
1. Keep it girl led! They will have the ability to think of ideas you wouldn’t have ever even considered. They will grow stronger and more confident with each opportunity to lead. They will learn the most by driving the lesson.
2. Be flexible, be kind, and model the Girl Scout Law. Your troop will change over time and the needs of your girls will change. Pay attention and don’t be afraid to alter your plans. At times they will be driven by earning patches. At other times they will need sisterhood, or to relax, or to just bond. Show them grace when issues arise, show them how to navigate with kindness and confidence, and teach them to be fierce.
3. Get to know your parents! One of the best things our troop ever did was become a family. We don’t always agree, we aren’t all the same, but the mom’s model sisterhood for our girls. (And I promise you that if you have a dad who plays this role, he will be thrilled to have a team of moms helping him navigate.) We are there for one another through life’s ups and downs and our girls see this. That is more powerful than any words will ever be.
What are your two favorite things about being a Troop Leader?
My favorite things about being a troop leader are my girls and our troop family.
I have had the honor of watching our girls go from shy, little ones to strong, confident, and courageous young woman. There isn’t a day that they don’t amaze me. There isn’t a moment that I am not filled with such pride to be a part of their story. While I miss the days of them being Daisy’s, I can’t wait to see how they change the world.
The friendships I have found with the parents in our troop are amazing. I get to co-lead with my best friend (who I barely knew before Girl Scouts). When I went through some major health issues, my troop supported me and helped me more than they will ever understand. We have traveled together, supported one another through divorces, passing of loved ones, celebrated birthdays and major milestones, and make one another better.
My daughter and I often say how her asking to join Girl Scouts and me allowing her to, was the best decision of our lives.
What is one of your favorite Girl Scout memories?
This question is so hard. I can’t even think of a bad memory with my girls. I guess my favorite thing would be seeing the world through their eyes. Our girls love to travel and watching them experience new things and take on new adventures has been amazing. Their desire to learn about other cultures has opened my eyes. We have been to Savannah, many places camping, Jekyll Island, North Georgia, Dominican Republic, 3 countries in Europe, and are going to Costa Rica this summer.
What I am most proud of is how they helped one another survive middle school. This was a very difficult time for them and the first time we had to alter our meeting style. They needed their sisters and supported one another through bullies, different schools, and new relationships.
Anything else?
You will get out of Girl Scouts what you put in to it. I highly encourage you to be all in. It won’t always be perfect, but it will make your life better in ways you couldn’t even imagine.
Jo Dee Nicosia, Troop 31950
Time Volunteering: 16 years
Service Unit: 619 Lil Manatee
Favorite Girl Scout Cookies®: S’mores
What are three things you wish you could tell yourself when you first became a troop leader?
You will make the best of friends and meet some of the best people in the world. The Girl Scout leadership experience is one of a kind. Take advantage of all of the resources available to you. The ah ha moments are priceless! Tighten your seatbelt because the girls will take you on so many wonderful adventures!
What are your two favorite things about being a Troop Leader?
Being a trusted adult to so many young girls is an honor.
I get to witness the ah ha moments as the girls try something for the first time.
What is one of your favorite Girl Scout memories?
The showcase of skills at CDT was a favorite among many memories. Bridging at Epcot for 100 years and leading a trip to Savannah with the troop, attending 2023 convention were among the best. But I suppose the proudest part was being a leader of a troop from k to 12 with 6 girls graduating and 3 of them earning their gold awards, (silver and bronze, too) then beginning again with a second troop.
Anything else?
Sadly, I am moving out of Florida soon and this is my last year as a leader.
Tabatha McCallum, Troop 43930
Time Volunteering: 2 years
Service Unit: 639 Land of the Silver Moon
Favorite Girl Scout Cookies®: Toffee-tastic
What are three things you wish you could tell yourself when you first became a troop leader?
1- You can build a Girl Scout community for girls to thrive!
2- Your daughter (and motivation for joining Girl Scouts) will learn how to share you with the others… eventually;)
3- Be yourself and trust your instincts.
What are your two favorite things about being a Troop Leader?
The friendships I have made and watching the girls try new things and support each other along the way. Without my Co-Leader and now great friend Kimberly, the transition into leading a troop would have been near impossible. Finding like-minded parents that want great things for their daughters is priceless; but even better when they too are Girl Scouts at heart and you can motivate each other to be amazing women and mothers along the way! Our troop has grown to be very close throughout this 1st year together and we often talk about watching the girls grow-up together and hope they enjoy being Girl Scouts and want to keep going on the GSLE adventure!
What is one of your favorite Girl Scout memories?
One of my favorite memories/proudest moments as a Girl Scout has been keeping my newly-reading Kindergartener motivated to keep reading last summer through the GS of WCF Reading Diva program and happily applying each caterpillar segment in celebration of her reading accomplishments. More than 50 segments later and the caterpillar is a significant portion of her fun patches and she loves showing them off to her troop members and other girls when at events. Our troop members are getting more curious about the program as well and I can’t wait to see their caterpillars grow!
Anything else?
Volunteering with Girl Scouts really can be as much or as little as you need and want. You might have to find the right place for you or make a space for you to thrive, but the benefits are not only for the girls. Adults benefit from the experiences, challenges, celebrations, traditions, and community as well! I see the friendships blossoming for the volunteering mom’s and scouts in our troop and it warms my heart to have a place in this GS community.
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Do you know a Troop Leader who deserves to be recognized for delivering a high quality Girl Scout Leadership Experience? Consider nominating them for the Troop Leader Spotlight!
