Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Volunteer Recognitions 2021

Volunteer Recognition Celebration 2021

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Thank you for your tireless dedication.

You really make a difference in girls’ lives.

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Appreciation Pin The Girl Scouts of the USA Appreciation Pin recognizes volunteers actively providing outstanding service in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in at least one geographic area or program delivery audience.

Recipients must be registered Girl Scout volunteers who actively recognize, understand, and practice the values of inclusive behavior, and they must have contributed to meeting one or more council goals in membership growth and retention, fund development, and increased community visibility.

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Lisa Ayer, North Reading

Jennifer Meyer, Waltham

Kerry Bedard, Wellesley

Brittany Minnehan, Hingham

Erica Burdon, Walpole Michele Chase, Baldwin Laurie Corbett, Rockland Elaine Egersheim, Walpole Meghan Elledge, Arlington

Karen Montague, Wayland Melissa MurphyRodrigues, Danvers Michelle Pabisz, Danvers

Julie Elmhurst, Walpole

Dana Palmer-Donnelly, Hingham

Melissa Elwell, Dorchester

Anne Phillips, Norwood

Alynda Foreman, Wayland

Kristen Rosado, Waltham

Stacey Gugliuzza*, Baldwin /Tewksbury

Hope Roth, Malden

Zoraida Harrington*, Roxbury Susan Keaney, Norwwood Denise Kung, North Reading Nicky Lamson, Reading Berinda Malden*, Roxbury Allison Martino, Natick

Kristen Sareault, Bourne Jagruti Seemungal, Marlboro Kate Small, Westford Claudia Webster, Walpole * also receiving an award in another category

Katy Mehrtens, Falmouth 5

5 Year Sustained Service After GSEMA/GSUSA Award

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Five, Ten, and Fifteen Year Sustained Service Awards recognize volunteers actively giving service to Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts for five or more years since receiving a GSEMA/GSUSA Award. The Sustained Service Award was developed to ensure our most dedicated, long-term volunteers are regularly thanked and recognized.

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Marianne McLaughlin-Downing, Reading 5 Year Sustained Service on Appreciation Pin A Girl Scout for 14 years and previous recipient of Appreciation Pin, Marianne currently serves as Service Unit Coordinator and Troop Leader. During the pandemic, Marianne has demonstrated strong leadership by keeping the Reading Service Unit informed and connected. Through Marianne’s troop leadership, her Cadette troop remained active in their community and gained hands-on experience in the democratic process by testing the Reading voting machines for the 2020 presidential election. Through her Reading Girl Scouts blog, Marianne helps other troops learn of local activities like letterboxing, using the Reading town forest trails for safe, socially distant hikes, and shares town and Girl Scout news and events to keep the community strong and connected. Marianne serves as a leader, advisor, and dedicated Girl Scout volunteer who continues to strengthen the Reading Girl Scouts community.

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Holly Williams, Waltham 5 Year Sustained Service on Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 25 years and previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin and Honor Pin, Holly currently serves at the Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill and as the Volunteer Recognition Coordinator and Encampment Director for the Waltham Service Unit. Frequently spotted at Cedar Hill, Holly has long served the Girl Scout Museum by organizing and merging the mountain of files filling more than one thousand boxes from legacy councils into an actionable system that she maintains to this day. She also strives to preserve the legacy of service in the Waltham Service Unit as she keeps and maintains records to identify volunteers who are due for formal recognition. As the Encampment Director, Holly creates pathways for girls to become leaders as the Younger Girl and Older Girl Encampment Director. Continually providing support at town and council events, Holly is a true pillar of Girl Scouting in her community through her knowledge of and her commitment and dedication to the legacy of the Girl Scout Movement.

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Honor Pin The Girl Scouts of the USA Honor Pin recognizes volunteers actively providing outstanding service in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in two or more geographic areas or program delivery audiences. Recipients must be registered Girl Scout volunteers who actively recognize, understand, and practice the values of inclusive behavior. They must have significantly contributed to meeting one or more council goals in membership growth and retention, fund development, and increased community visibility.

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Jean Cho, Hyde Park—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 24 years and previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Jean currently serves as a Waltham Cookie Cupboard Volunteer, Assistant Troop Leader, Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator, and Troop Cookie Coordinator. Jean is the assistant troop leader for a multi-level troop in Hyde Park that provides the opportunity for more girls to participate in Girl Scouting. As a volunteer in the Waltham Cookie Cupboard, Jean offers a wealth of information and provides exceptional support to many troop cookie coordinators and troop leaders while they pick up their orders. Jean’s leadership skills carry over to help support and train staff and other volunteers at the cupboard. Jean provides a seamless cookie cupboard staff and volunteer onboarding experience due to her experience and extensive cookie knowledge.

Whether it’s pulling troop orders, assessing damaged packages, filing paperwork, or cleaning and preparing a space for deliveries, Jean takes pride in service and is always leading by example. Jean continues to make a significant impact on the Girl Scouting community and is a support and resource to every volunteer she meets.

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Diane Culhane, Walpole—Honor Pin & Red Rose Award (please see Red Rose Award section for more information)

Pi Fong, Acton—Honor Pin & Red Rose Award (please see Red Rose Award section for more information)

Lola Furtado, Freetown/Lakeville—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 20 years and previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Lola is a former Regional Delegate, Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill Volunteer, Service Unit Treasurer, Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentor, Troop Leader and Troop Cookie Coordinator.

Lola supports the service unit by managing the fall product program and as Treasurer to provide financial stability. Lola helps support volunteer recruitment and retention by mentoring new volunteers, encouraging new volunteers to shadow her as she plans and runs troop activities. Once the troop bridges to the next level, the volunteers take over the leadership role and she starts the cycle over again. Lola has been a dedicated 11

museum volunteer for five years and has been especially helpful supporting volunteers from the Middleborough area access museum program and flag kits. Lola has gone above and beyond with the “Me and My Bear Tea” program by adapting and implementing the program under COVID restrictions, providing an opportunity for more than 200 Daisies and Brownies to participate in the program.

Lola is a tremendous resource to her community, and delivers thoughtful and creative service to Girl Scouts across GSEMA.

Jenna LaBissoniere, Medford—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 7 years and previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Jenna currently serves as Service Unit New Leader Mentor, Service Unit Events Coordinator, Service Unit Cookie Booth Coordinator, Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator. Jenna serves as a troop leader for a large multi-level troop in Medford, ensuring that girls have access to Girl Scouting in Medford, and strengthens the Medford Girl Scouts town connection by forging new relationships with local government, the high school, and other local organizations.

These relationships have created a strong partnership that provides ongoing support for Medford Girl Scouts at local events, ceremonies, and celebrations such as bridging ceremonies, annual parades, and cookie booths. Jenna shared her extensive knowledge of Girl Scouting as a Troop Pathway Orientation provider for 12

many years, and more recently as a New Leader Mentor, all while being an invaluable resource to the council as she runs the Waltham Cookie Cupboard. First Aid and Lodge trained, Jenna continually provides opportunities for leaders and girls to learn new skills on encampments and during troop activities—at her last encampment she provided skills training for more than 100 girls.

She is an enthusiastic supporter of both the cookie and fall product programs, and in 2020 her troop was one of the top five troops in Medford. Jenna’s warm and generous service is a gift to Medford Girl Scouts and the larger Girl Scouting community.

I love watching the girls grow into their own.

Each girl with a unique personality and perspective of the world.

– Jenna LaBissoniere

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Caitlyn LeBlanc, Burlington—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 26 years, Caitlyn is a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin and currently serves as a Gold Award Advisor and Committee Member. Over her past five years as a Gold Award Advisor, Caitlyn has worked with more than 25 girls and seen 19 to their achievement of the Gold Award. She uses her background in education to identify and work with girls who require more in-depth support from an advisor and actively creates a space where more girls, regardless of experience or ability, are able to participate in the Gold Award process and continue on their leadership journey. Caitlyn was a vital contributor to the development of onboarding training for Gold Award Advisors and the creation of a more formalized process to support advisors, including piloting a new mentorship program on the Gold Award Committee.

She maintains one of the highest rosters of Gold Award candidates and continues to go above and beyond in her review of proposals and feedback for candidates. Her dedication and passion make the Girl Scout Gold Award more accessible and inclusive for all Girl Scouts and she creates a space for young leaders to grow.

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Nancy Leblang, Wayland—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 45 years, Nancy is a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin and currently serves as Wayland Cookie Cupboard Manager, Service Unit Cookie Mentor, and Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentor. Nancy is an invaluable support to Wayland and surrounding communities. She not only serves as Cookie and Fall Product Programs Mentor for Wayland, but also runs a council cupboard out of her garage. Providing a local cupboard out of her home enables local troops to have easier access to cookies while supporting material distribution, program rollout, strategic planning, and booth organization. Through her prolonged service and experience with the cookie program, Nancy has become an essential thought partner to the council, where her input and advice hold tremendous value when making considerations for best practices and policy changes.

Nancy also serves as a mentor to other volunteers, offering advice, tips, and guidance. With passion and efficacy, Nancy has also adapted technology, communication, and marketing tactics to better support Wayland Girl Scouts.

Furthermore, she serves on the service unit’s scholarship committee, hosts a volunteer recognition dinner in addition 15

to service unit meetings, and stores camping equipment for all.

With her creativity and compassion, Nancy continues to reinvent ways to support Girl Scouts, the Wayland community, and beyond.

Donna Yang, Quincy—Honor Pin A Girl Scout for 9 years and previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Donna currently serves as Regional Delegate, Board Committee Member, Service Unit Membership Promoter, Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator.

Donna has served for several years as the Quincy Membership Promoter, and this year adapted her technique with a virtual recruitment event that provided Quincy with the opportunity to form a new Daisy troop and offer more girls the opportunity to experience Girl Scouts. She created virtual opportunities for Quincy Girl Scouts, including a Harry Potter Escape Room night, virtual World Thinking Day, and a Juliette Gordon Low Birthday Bash where girls came together via Zoom to play trivia, sing songs, play games, and decorate cupcakes to celebrate. Donna has served on the Volunteer Conference Committee to create an expansive, 16

thoughtful, and inclusive learning event for more than 400 GSEMA volunteers annually, and currently serves as a Regional Delegate.

She was recently was appointed to the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board Committee to help determine the council’s policies and direction for inclusive practices. With local dedication and a council-wide perspective, Donna makes a powerful impact on the Girl Scouting community.

[I volunteer] to help guide them, find their unique and individual voices, and expose them to new experiences and opportunities.

– Denise Kung

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Lifetime of Service The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Lifetime of Service Award recognizes adult volunteers who have championed the mission of Girl Scouting through longterm commitment and exemplary work at the troop, service unit, or council level for fifteen or more years.

Recipients must be a registered and active Girl Scout adult member who makes consistent contributions to meeting one or more council goals in membership growth and retention, fund development, or increased community visibility. They must recognize, understand, and practice the values of inclusive behavior as they deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

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Judith Bisson, Waltham—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 21 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin and Five Year Sustained Service Pin, Judith currently serves as Service Unit Treasurer. A troop leader for twelve years, she took her troop from Daisies to Ambassadors and continued on in the service unit after her daughter and her troop graduated from Girl Scouts. As treasurer, she not only coordinates all the finances for the service unit, but she has taken the lead on fundraising for the service unit’s scholarship fund. For this fund, Judith plans, organizes, and executes the annual square dance, the proceeds of which directly fund the scholarship. She coordinates the administration and presentation of the scholarship award by accepting and reviewing applications and then forwarding them on to an impartial committee for review and decision. She always strives to give more than one scholarship annually, and due to her efforts Waltham has been able to consistently award at least one scholarship per year since 2009. Judith is a powerful advocate for Girl Scouts and keeps the Waltham Girl Scouting community strong.

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Janet Coombs, Arlington—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 61 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, Thanks Badge II, and a 20 Year Sustained Service Pin, Janet currently serves as a Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill Volunteer. Previously a Board Member and Regional and National Delegate, Janet started in Girl Scouts as a Brownie and first became a troop leader while in college before serving as a troop leader for her daughter’s troop. Serving in the Arlington Service Unit and Mistick Side Council, Janet was on the consolidation committee for the formation of Patriot’s Trail Girl Scout Council and served as a Vice President of the council during her tenure. She was the Chairperson of the 75th Anniversary Celebration Committee for Patriot’s Trail, a member of the Friends of Our Chalet Committee of the World Foundation of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and has visited three out of the four World Centers. Janet began as a docent at the Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill in 1999 and has worked there ever since. She is currently Director Emeritus of the museum, having overseen the merger of the 3 legacy museums and the renovation and reopening of the current building in 2016-2017. Under Janet’s 20

leadership, the historians created a strategic vision and developed an operating plan to preserve and promote the legacy of Girl Scout history and heritage so girls and adults can continue to be inspired.

Carol DiStefano, Dracut—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 17 years, Carol currently serves as a Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator. Currently the troop leader for her granddaughter’s Cadette troop for the past nine years, Carol previously served as troop leader for her daughters’ troops, seeing multiple generations through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. She highly values developing leadership through service and supports her troop by engaging them in activities that interest them. They’ve written letters to service members overseas, including packing stockings to mail to them during the holidays, volunteered repeatedly at a local shelter for homeless families, and organized a supply drive to stock the shelter with the essentials. The week before Christmas this year, the troop learned of a family who did not have the funds to celebrate. The troop decided to contribute their cookie program 21

earnings to give this family a holiday celebration, including buying gifts and necessities, and making blankets for the family. Carol’s service has deeply impacted her community for decades and her generosity, passion, and dedication create a space for generations of young leaders to participation in Girl Scouting.

Francine Edwards, Lexington—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 54 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, and Thanks Badge II, Francine currently serves as a Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill Volunteer. Francine has worked closely with GSEMA program staff to design and run council, school vacation week, and summer camp programs, including the popular “Girl Scout Ways.” Francine was very involved in the museum exhibit work to promote alum relations for the GSEMA Leading Women Awards in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In the spring of 2019, Francine worked closely with council staff to host a meeting of the Waltham Chamber of Commerce at Cedar Hill’s Great Hall. Francine worked on a detailed slideshow of Cedar Hill’s history, networked with attendees, and was one of the two 22

presenters. In fall 2019, Francine was part of the museum team that supported outreach for the International Day of the Girl program in Boston by supplying international uniforms, SWAPs activities, and information about the World Centers. Throughout her career, she has co-founded the Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill, served as a Mariner Girl Scout, served in several different camp roles at Camp Four Winds on Long Pond in Plymouth, as well as several troop and service unit roles, and in 1984, she received a Time Warner Wonder Woman grant to study and collect oral history at Edith Macy. Far more than contributing to our Girl Scout history, Francine defines and shapes the fabric of our Girl Scout story in eastern Massachusetts.

Watching my girls grow and become leaders in their community inspires me.

– Meghan Elledge

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Mary Ellen Jordan Mercier, Walpole—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 42 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, Thanks Badge II , and 10 Year Sustained Service Pin, Mary Ellen currently serves as a Walpole Service Unit Awards and Recognitions Chair and Vice President of the Walpole Center Board. As a past Chair of the Walpole Service Unit for 17 years, Mary Ellen continues to support the Walpole Service Unit by sharing her experience, knowledge, and passion for Girl Scouting. Currently, her service is very focused on supporting and honoring other volunteers. She has been the chairperson for the Walpole Awards and Recognitions Committee for 20 years, maintaining records and information to make it easier to recognize volunteers for the full scope of their service and impact. She organizes an annual appreciation dinner and awards event and is regularly present at leader meetings to support volunteers in any way she can, replanting her lifetime of Girl Scout experience back into her community. She assists in recruiting and supporting Girl Scouts in Walpole and Norwood at town events and participates in community action projects, particularly supporting issues of food access and insecurity at the Community Food Bank and “Breaking Bread” event. She contributes to Walpole scholarship efforts to provide Girl Scouts with funds beyond graduation. Mary Ellen works in ways large and small to ensure that Girl Scouts is a community of people who support each other and receive support 24

in return, creating a rich and interconnected community in Walpole and beyond.

Patricia Leverone, Billerica—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 49 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, and Thanks Badge II, Pat currently serves as Regional Delegate, Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill Volunteer, Service Unit Membership Promoter, Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator. Pat is an actionable compendium of Girl Scout knowledge and essentially serves as a master troop leader for GSEMA. Over her decades of service, she has continually led and graduated troops with firsthand knowledge of the changing needs of troops, the universal needs of Girl Scouts over decades, and the dynamic nature of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Through this experience, she has consistently not only supported her troop, but educated, mentored, and lifted up generations of Girl Scout volunteers as a council facilitator for many years.

She also contributes her voice to council governance as a Regional Delegate and helps shape and define GSEMA’s 25

understanding and scope of history as a Museum Volunteer.

Throughout her time at GSEMA, Pat has created a living legacy of supported, connected, and engaged Girl Scouts and adult volunteers.

Denise Movsessian, Arlington—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 17 years and a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin, Denise currently serves as a Service Unit Co-Coordinator.

Denise’s volunteer role is an integral part of the Arlington Service Unit team. Denise helps plan meetings for troop leaders throughout the year and is the community’s primary source for council news, initiatives, and objectives. Under her guidance, the service unit maintains a lending library of Girl Scout books and resources to support their community and provide materials to leaders. Under Denise’s leadership, the Arlington Service Unit also continues to offer camperships, troop startup funds for supplies and uniforms, and other financial assistance for troops. Previously, Denise was a troop leader for many years and graduated her troop in 2019.

She served as an older girl specialist, and in her role as website manager, Denise designed a private portal for their website that has specific, on-demand information for families, volunteers, and current members so everything they need is online and at their fingertips. Her service unit team focuses on mentoring and supporting leaders at each stage of their volunteer journey. Denise 26

leads monthly service unit meetings that are level specific so that leaders can collaborate and get to know each other without being overwhelmed by too many extra meetings. These strategies and resources keep troop leaders engaged and help retain them from year to year, and in turn, these leaders support a large troop population. The stability of an experienced team has kept membership numbers up, helped retain leaders, and continued to promote the presence of Girl Scouts in the Arlington community.

Volunteering with Girl Scouts provides opportunities of life-long friendships with others who believe in the mission.

– Janet Coombs

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Judith Wilchynski, Dennis/Yarmouth—Lifetime of Service A Girl Scout for 57 years and a previous recipient of the Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, and Thanks Badge II, Judith currently serves as a National Delegate, Regional Delegate, Gold Award Advisor, Service Unit Treasurer, Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator. Judy moved from Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts to GSEMA with a deep background in Girl Scouting and volunteering both locally and nationally. Having served in virtually every volunteer position available, she had an immediate impact in the Dennis/Yarmouth Girl Scouting community, providing guidance and support to newer volunteers. She mentored the current Service Unit Coordinators in an unofficial capacity while taking on an official service unit role and helping Dennis/Yarmouth reach 60% retention, in line with council averages. She is willing and eager to share her experience and knowledge with all Girl Scouts from both a local peer mentoring perspective up to serving as a Regional and National Delegate and positively impacting council and national governance. Additionally, she serves on the 28

Council By-Laws Task Force for the GSEMA Board of Directors, acts as a Gold Award Advisor, and, after significantly contributing to a successfully virtual 2020 National Council Session, has recently been selected to serve on the GSUSA National Council Session Advisory Team for 2023. In such a short amount of time, Judy has made a profound and lasting impact on GSEMA and continues to give service at a national level.

We encourage our girls to step out of their comfort zones bit by bit and applaud them when they make the bigger leaps and bounds.

– Olivia Rosenblum

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Red Rose Award The Red Rose Award recognizes a volunteer who actively demonstrates exemplary commitment to the Girl Scout values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in one or more geographic areas. The Red Rose Award invokes the memory of the Red Rose Troop, the first Girl Scout troop in eastern Massachusetts and the third in the nation. This troop was started by Emma Hall and, in 1913, was the first nationally to welcome Black girls.

This troop demonstrates that from the beginning of the Movement, eastern Massachusetts has been deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity for all girls; this award recognizes the volunteers who carry that commitment forward.

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Lucy Costa, Wellesley—Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for 11 years and previous recipient of the Honor Pin, Lucy currently serves on the Lift Your Voice Committee, as a Service Unit Treasurer in Boston and Roxbury, and as Assistant Troop Leader. During the pandemic, Lucy created virtual opportunities for Girl Scouts to participate in a Silver Award Orientation for older troops, democracy and entrepreneurship badge sessions for all levels, and a four-part GIRLtopia Journey.

Because of her work spanning three different service units, she was able to open these opportunities up to interested troops in Roxbury, Boston, and Wellesley to share resources wisely and help troops around the council stay engaged and connected during the pandemic. A consistent advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion at GSEMA, Lucy has been an integral member of the Lift Your Voice team, working quickly in response to rising racial violence to provide a space for conversation, learning, and support and in so doing, providing an incalculable service to the council.

Her willingness to share her wealth of knowledge and leadership skills with her service units and the council at a time when many Girl Scouts and volunteers were feeling vulnerable, 31

disconnected, and disempowered, is a credit to Girl Scouting and her community.

Diane Culhane, Walpole—Honor Pin and Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for 27 years, Diane is a previous recipient of the Appreciation Pin and currently serves as a Regional Delegate and Service Unit Mentor for older Girl Scouts. Previously serving as Service Unit Secretary and Service Unit Encampment Director, Diane continually volunteers to coordinate meetings, take notes, and emails Walpole volunteers the minutes and notices of upcoming activities. Diane helps to plan town events for Girl Scouts and shows up to set up, help facilitate, and clean up after each event. She proudly represents Girl Scouts at Town of Walpole events such as the Veterans’ and Memorial Day observances, and even drove the GSEMA cookie van in the Walpole Day parade to collect food donations for the Walpole Community Food Bank. Diane plays an instrumental role in organizing an annual encampment at Camp Wabasso that is open to troops from other towns and provides space for Girl Scouts to experience the outdoors. A Gold Award Girl Scout herself, Diane is extremely passionate about creating a supportive environment for older Girl Scouts to achieve the Gold Award, including mentoring girls with special needs through the process. She has ensured that all Walpole Girl Scouts who wish to 32

earn the Gold Award have the opportunity to do so, regardless of ability or limitations. Diane’s service continues to make Walpole and the council a more inclusive and welcoming space for all.

I continue to volunteer to able to nurture girls as great scholars in their academics from Daisies all the way to Ambassadors, preparing for college...and in their future careers.

– Berinda Malden

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Stacey Gugliuzza, Baldwin, Tewksbury—Appreciation Pin and Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for three years, Stacey currently serves as Troop Leader, Troop Treasurer, Troop Cookie Coordinator, and Troop Fall Product Program Mentor. A dedicated troop leader, Stacey first took a leadership position for her daughter’s Junior troop that would have disbanded without her leadership, and continued on to start a Daisy troop as well. Throughout the pandemic, she has adapted her leadership to make sure that girls have options and support to meet and continue to engage in activities. As a parent of a child with severe food allergies, safety has always been a primary concern and Stacey wanted to create a space within Girl Scouts where everyone is able to safely participate regardless of allergies. While she managed this with her own troop, Stacey identified concerns in sending her Girl Scouts safely to camp. She advocated for her concerns with the council and her thoughtful, actionable suggestions led to policy changes across the council to make sure that camp is a safe space for Girl Scouts with allergies.

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Zoraida Harrington, Roxbury—Appreciation Pin and Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for three years, Zoraida currently serves as a Troop Leader, Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator, and Troop Cookie Coordinator. Zoraida is a passionate and committed volunteer.

She contributes to multiple troops in an effort to ensure that any member that would like to join a troop has a place in Girl Scouting.

A special needs teacher by day, Zoraida uses her training and skills to ensure that Girl Scouts are welcome and supported regardless of ability. She shares her skills as a First Aider so troops can participate in activities and create adventures, and she has an unbelievable talent for pursuing and strengthening community relationships, from connecting with the local fire department for cookie sales and educational opportunities, to bringing in a mental health expert to talk to her troop about what supporting and prioritizing mental health looks like from a young age. From running Black History Month events to being a champion for Girl Scouts on social media, Zoraida’s true strength lies in communicating her passion for Girl Scouts so that everyone can see themselves welcomed and represented in the Girl Scout community.

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Berinda Malden, Roxbury—Appreciation Pin and Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for 20 years, Berinda currently serves as a Service Unit Volunteer and Troop Leader. Many consider Berinda a community treasure. A teacher at the O’Bryant School in Roxbury, she runs a troop at her school and provides a troop experience for those who previously never had an opportunity to be Girl Scouts. Her troop originated as part of a retired community reengagement program at GSEMA and she was able to leverage that into an extremely successful multi-level troop. She is incredibly skilled at providing leadership and service opportunities for older girls, and in doing so, creates a cohort of support that her Girl Scouts take with them into their collegiate and professional lives. She managed to grow her troop during the pandemic, continuing to provide safe opportunities for Girl Scouts to gather, learn, and develop as leaders. She encourages her troop to adopt a committee structure with the older Girl Scouts leading the younger ones. Berinda has developed trust, communication, and a pathway to leadership with an entire community and dramatically impacts recruitment and retention in Boston.

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Pi Fong, Acton—Honor Pin and Red Rose Award A Girl Scout for 23 years, Pi currently serves as a Board of Directors Committee Member, Troop Leader, and Troop Fall Product Program Coordinator. Pi is a powerful advocate for inclusion within Girl Scouts in a multitude of ways. They run a successful multi-level troop that provides opportunities for many Girl Scouts to find their place within Girl Scouting and deliver excellent programming for their troop. For more than a year, they have served in a volunteer capacity as a consultant and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion for GSEMA staff, including running cultural events in 2020 and 2021 for staff to learn about Asian history, experiences, and culture (and how to make dumplings!). They currently serve on the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the GSEMA Board of Directors, guiding and impacting our councilwide strategy for a more inclusive Girl Scouts. They have been a driving force on the Lift Your Voice committee to provide information, discussion, and space for girls and volunteers nationally in response to rising racial violence and awareness of pervasive injustice; they are an incalculable resource to the council and a powerful voice and advocate for inclusion.

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Helen Storrow Heritage Award The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Helen Storrow Heritage Award recognizes registered Girl Scout individuals or committees who have contributed to the growth and strength of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts through their philanthropy and efforts to preserve our vast Girl Scout history. Recipients must be registered Girl Scouts who have demonstrated significant philanthropy to help maintain the financial stability and growth of the council; are committed to preserving our vast history and legacy of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; support and seek to further the delivery of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience; and actively recognize, understand, and practice the values of the Girl Scout mission.

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Linda Hammett Ory, Lincoln—Helen Storrow Heritage Award A Girl Scout for 21 years and a retired troop leader, Linda has been a good friend to the council for many years. Linda guided her troop of 15 from Daisies through to graduation as Ambassador Girl Scouts. During that time, she mentored and supported 13 girls in earning the Bronze Award, 13 in earning the Silver Award, and an impressive four girls in earning Girl Scouts’ highest award in Girl Scouting, the Girl Scout Gold Award. Sharing resources with communities with thoughtful intention was a core tenet of Linda’s leadership as a troop leader with a strong focus on equity and access; for example, she and her troop worked with local communities to gather fresh produce and redistribute it to area shelters for women and children. With inspiring friendship and partnership with GSEMA, Linda recently made a significant contribution to support community programming while the initiative transitions to become more sustainable and impactful. Through Linda’s gift, GSEMA is able to continue carrying on Juliette Gordon Low’s commitment to providing a preeminent leadership experience to all girls.

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President’s Award The President’s Award recognizes a geographic area, service unit, service-delivery team, or committee whose exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience surpassed team goals and resulted in significant, measurable impact toward reaching the council’s overall goals. The team must practice the values of inclusive behavior and reflect the diversity of the geographic area it serves.

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Gold Award Committee, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Gold Award Committee led by committee co-chairs Cathy LeBlanc and Stephanie Galvin. The Gold Award Committee’s role is to support every candidate who submits a project proposal to successfully earn their Gold Award. GSEMA has consistently met or exceeded the national average for candidates receiving the Gold Award, due in large part to the dedicated volunteers on the Gold Award Committee. The committee works tirelessly with Gold Award candidates by reviewing their proposals and helping them execute a project to realize their dream of earning their Gold Award.

Recently, the committee updated the Gold Award review process by identifying roadblocks and streamlining the process to maintain rigor and to ensure accessibility. The new process utilizes specific pathways for earning the Gold Award, each determining the amount of assistance the candidate may need while completing their Gold Award project, enabling committee members to identify submissions that may require additional support. They then work with individual candidates throughout their Gold Award project to provide help and assistance. With a historical focus on in-person educational interactions, the pandemic created additional challenges to the Gold Award process; adapting to the ever changing environment was essential for the success of Gold Award Girl Scouts, and the committee demonstrated resilience by 41

adapting to the new virtual environment and continuing to help candidates uphold ingenuity and confidence in the completion of their projects. Acting as coaches, champions, and cheerleaders, the Gold Award Committee makes it possible for Girl Scouts to grow, develop, and flourish as leaders.

Girl Scouting inspires me, because it encourages girls to dream their futures as leaders, and it helps them develop the skills to become whatever they envision for themselves.

– Linda Hammett Ory

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GSEMA Summer Camp Directors, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the GSEMA Summer Camp Directors, led by Deborah (Brook) O’Shea, Sarah (Fluke) Leshay, Jessica (Crunch) Woods, Peg (Lucky) Juppe, Renee Doucette, Amanda Michienzi, Jennifer (Paddle) Coombs, Caitlyn (Kitty) LeBlanc, Colleen (Giggles) Grady, Emily (Moo) Hollstein, Aimee (Reebie) Oteri. The summer of 2020 was unlike any other in the history of summer camp at GSEMA. Due to the pandemic, GSEMA made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person programming at our summer camps, which also meant that GSEMA was not able to hire any camp staff for the summer. In true Girl Scout spirit, and in an effort to maintain human connection and support in difficult times, the camp directors reached out to camp staff, volunteers, and previous campers to check in throughout the summer. GSEMA’s Camp Directors are all veteran volunteers and camp staff who believe in the power of the outdoors to create leadership pathways, develop strong mental and physical health, and heal during difficult times; with these beliefs in mind, the camp directors helped GSEMA staff develop Camp Outside the Box programming to recapture some of the most vital aspects of camp life while in quarantine. Campers signed up for themed boxes sent to their homes with all of the supplies for each activity, joining a live session per week for each age level, and there were even “all camp” sessions each week to make campers feel connected and part of the 43

larger camp community of Girl Scouts. The camp directors wrote curricula for the sessions, maintained an engaging social media presence, and created a space for Girl Scouts to feel just a little bit more connected to what they missed and love most. The camp directors rose to the challenge and created an incredibly unique experience to answer the needs of the current times.

Girl Scout troops across Hingham made lawn signs and videos encouraging people to vote...The girls learned so much!

– Kaja Fickes

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Hingham Service Unit, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Hingham Service Unit, let by Co-Coordinator Marielle Thorne, Co-Coordinator Kelly Moore, Secretary Jeannie Ingram, Cookie Mentor Pauline Bogle, Girl Scout House Calendar Coordinator Gretchen Amonte, and Treasurer and Encampment Director Wendy Finnerty.

In the beginning of 2020, Hingham Girl Scouts opened a time capsule from 1995 with the intention of refilling it to be opened in 2045; little did they know what a historic and momentous year it would be. Just before the start of the pandemic, Hingham hosted a Girls Have No Limit event with a grant from National Girl Collaborative. The grant provided the service unit with 300 matchbox cars to encourage girls to think beyond traditional gender toy choices, and Hingham planned an event to build a race track and learn more about female racing drivers. Once the pandemic hit, Hingham Girl Scouts maintained their connection to the local Girl Scouting community by regularly posting and communicating on the Hingham Girl Scout Facebook and Instagram pages, organizing opportunities for Girl Scouts to draw cards for seniors, sewing masks, and creating new virtual and sociallydistant troop experiences. Hingham has retained nearly 70% of their membership and started two new Daisy troops during the pandemic, with an additional one forming, adding a total of 22 new Girl Scouts for a total of 37 registered troops. Hingham celebrated six 45

Bronze Award Girl Scouts and four Gold Award Girl Scouts this year, and kicked off the fall with a service unit-wide campaign to honor female suffragists and learn more about voting and democracy. The Hingham Service Unit is working on a multi-phase project to make their Scout House more accessible for Girl Scouts of all abilities, demonstrating their commitment to inclusiveness and Girl Scout sisterhood. The Hingham Service Unit continues to create a thriving Girl Scout community where Girl Scouts’ legacy lives on through their commitment to service and upholding the Girl Scout Mission.

Pivoting during the pandemic from in-person meetings to weekly remote meetings was difficult, but so rewarding.

– Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues

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Hanover Service Unit, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Hanover Service Unit, led by Service Unit Coordinator Amanda Cole, Membership Promoter Jennifer Kane, Membership Promoter Kristina Lyttle, and Service Unit Volunteer Joanna McCormick.

Hanover has enjoyed incredible success due to increased communication, support, and passion for Girl Scouting. Between 2018 and 2020, cookie sales have increased each year, including an increase in participation from 123 Girl Scouts in 2018, to 130 girls in 2019, to 151 girls in 2020. Cookie sales have increased from $56,680 in 2018 to $71,895 in 2020, a 27% increase in cookie sales to date. The Hanover Service Unit has demonstrated success in girl retention and recruitment, welcoming 29 new Girl Scouts and retaining 137 girls in 2020. Hanover ranks 12th overall in girl recruitment for the 2020 membership year. Despite challenges due to the pandemic, Hanover has retained 80% of their members, compared to a council-wide average of 60%. Prior to the pandemic, the service unit was incredibly active in their community and participated in town events such as the Memorial Day Parade, supported Girl Scout Ambassadors on a trip to Iceland, and participated in various service projects including food drives and supporting the library. With pandemic restrictions in place, Hanover continued to support the community by coordinating with local organizations, promoting troop service projects, and 47

maintaining communication and connection through social media and virtual leaders meetings. The Hanover Service Unit has kept Girl Scouts engaged by hosting fun events, including a pine car derby, sundown singalongs, gingerbread house-building, encampments, and more. Since the pandemic, the service unit has continued to engage girls by hosting virtual events, maintaining and upholding their Girl Scout connection. Together, the Hanover Service Unit team provides a consistent, welcoming, and inclusive environment for Hanover Girl Scouts.

Especially this year, Girl Scouts helped keep me connected with the community. It encouraged me to build and maintain connections.

– Pi Fong 48

Lift Your Voice Committee, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Lift Your Voice Committee led by Ashley Eadie and supported by Pilar Ortiz, Lucy Costa, Fabienne Eliacin, Pi Fong, Jessica Alba, Jocelyn Bugan, Nora Sears, Kim Lambert, Melissa Velazquez, and Michelle Ambila. In May 2020, the world was rocked by the death of George Floyd, and in the following days and weeks, the global perspective shifted on what racism, justice, and action look like, not just for individuals, but for organizations as well. For Girl Scouts, there was an intense and immediate need to provide a space for healing, learning, discussion, and support within our community, and a small group of people immediately stepped up to facilitate that space. This group began organizing virtual, age-based programming with an incredible response. The first four sessions garnered 360 Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, 191 Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, and 200 adults. Registrants came from 25 states, a handful of international countries, and at least seven other Girl Scout councils. The team developed antiracism resources for troop use and education, and presented at the GSEMA 2020 Volunteer Conference to continue the conversation with adult volunteers. This group led a staff and volunteer collaborative initiative wholly outside of staff roles that addressed intense, emergent needs and systemic issues of racism and discrimination. Lift Your Voice gave volunteers and Girl Scouts a 49

voice and a place to have conversations about racial justice, equity, and discrimination, creating a new pathway for leadership and development for the council.

I am inspired by the endless supply of devotion and enthusiasm that Girl Scout volunteers pour into their positions as troop and community volunteers.

–Diane Culhane

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Medford Service Unit, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Medford Service Unit, led by Service Unit Coordinator, Fall Product Program Mentor, and Encampment Director Andralyn Farro, Treasurer Monique O’Connell, Membership Promoter Ellen Collins, New Leader Mentor Jenna LaBissoniere, New Leader Mentor Rebecca Scott, and Encampment Director Evalyn O’Rourke. In the role since 2016, Andie leads this strong and capable service unit with a focus on excellent communication, networking, mentorship, and communal resources. Even in the pandemic, Medford has been able to start new troops and continue to support existing troops, recruiting nearly 2% of GSEMA’s overall new adults in 2021 and creating two new troops to answer community needs. They maintain a high girl retention rate of 69.5% and an extremely strong adult retention rate of 73%, with 89% of their overall membership renewed year over year. Medford maintains a successful website to strengthen the profile of Girl Scouting in the Medford community, which was reimagined this year as a landing page for troops’ virtual cookie booths so that the town could work together to participate in the cookie program. The website provided an access point for cookies while also sharing local information about Girl Scout troops, projects, local partnerships, and ways that everyone can get involved in Girl Scouting. Medford Girl Scouts can often be found doing service projects in the 51

Middlesex Fells, watering newly planted trees with TreesMedford, helping the Mystic River Watershed Association, and meeting at the West Medford Community Center. Medford girls are international ambassadors of the Girl Scout program. Ambassador troop 65007 traveled to Europe and has plans to travel to Costa Rica, Senior troop 65226 is planning to travel to Puerto Rico, and Junior troop 72103 is working towards an international adventure.

Cookie sales have been steadily increasing in Medford, and in the 2019-2020 season, Medford was the top selling community in GSEMA, beating out the second ranked community by $4,200 in sales. Nearly 87% of registered girls participated in 2019-2020. A very diverse area, Medford Girl Scouts creates a place for all Girl Scouts to see themselves reflected and represented by focusing on community and connection through events like World Thinking Day, learning the Girl Scout Promise in American Sign Language, participating in the Lift Your Voice series, collectively advocating for the service unit to sign the Girl Scouts Anti-Racism Pledge, and participating in the GSEMA Juneteenth celebration. Supported by volunteer Tracy Keene, Medford organized a multi-troop event at Camp Runels during which the girls worked on two civil rights badges (Four Little Girls and Civil Rights History), earned a Martin Luther King, Jr. patch, and patches for winter camping, homeless awareness, and wildfire relief. This deeply engaged, thoughtful, and responsive community works together to achieve incredible things and help all Girl Scouts feel they have a place in Medford.

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Raynham Service Unit, President’s Award GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Raynham Service Unit, led by Coordinator Jennifer Kinder, Cookie Program Mentor, Fall Product Program Mentor, Encampment Director and Membership Promoter Rebecca “Becky” Mello, and Encampment Director Michelle Belmont-Archambault. The Raynham Service Unit is currently at an 82% retention rate, driven by a consistently strong Early Bird Renewal. Raynham ranks first by percentage renewed council-wide for Early Bird the last three years running, with retention about 20% higher than GSEMA’s average. This not only provides the community with incentives, but establishes Girl Scouting as the “first choice” activity for Raynham members and creates a self-propagating cycle of success. With 81 registered adult volunteers and 184 girls registered in the service unit, they started a new Daisy troop with 10 new girls this year during the pandemic, supporting the development of the Girl Scouting community in Raynham. For the last three years, Raynham has consistently hit above 90% for a participation rate for the cookie program, significantly higher than the council average. Notably, Raynham is also one of the rare communities with a troop operating in every grade level from Kindergarten through tenth grade; up until the graduation of Ambassador Girl Scouts last year, they had every grade represented, further supporting a long-term commitment to Girl Scouting from troops and families. This last year, they 53

actually increased their cookie sales year over year despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. The Raynham Service Unit has committed to supporting younger girls pursuing the Bronze and Silver Awards, and made lasting ties with their local civic leadership, increasing the visibility of Girl Scouts in the broader community.

This exemplary service unit has learned how to support each other and their girls to provide a leadership experience for more girls and adult volunteers.

I’ve enjoyed watching them grow from Daisies to Juniors and I look forward to continuing this journey as their Cadette leader.

–Holly Garcia

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Volunteer Recognition Committee, President’s Award.

GSEMA is proud to present the President’s Award to the Volunteer Recognition Committee, led by Anne Gaughen, Kim Lambert, Debra Nearing, Marielle Thorne, Joyce Lee, Jessi Robinson, Holly Garcia, Samantha Hurley, and Gail Spring. The Volunteer Recognition Committee reviews between 160 and 400 nominations each year to recognize more than 85 individual volunteers annually on average. The committee also assesses volunteer needs and whether recognitions are adequately capturing volunteer service, and they noticed two trends—GSEMA lacked an award to recognize longevity of service within a single community or beyond, and additionally lacked a way to recognize the extraordinary efforts of GSEMA volunteers creating inclusive spaces within our council. Over several years, they developed a proposal, advocated to the board, and received approval for two new awards: Lifetime of Service, to recognize volunteers who serve for fifteen years or more in one or more geographic areas; and the Red Rose Award to identify and celebrate volunteer achievements in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This multi-year project took passion and dedication, adapting GSEMA’s definition of service to more accurately reflect the needs and values of Girl Scout volunteers.

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I always say that being a Girl Scout Troop Leader is the best and most rewarding volunteer job.

It gives me joy and purpose.

–Kerry Bedard

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