Citrus Peel 2015-2016

Girl Scout Alumnae - Making an impact
By Lydia Sealey, Director of Community Relations
How many of us who are reading this article can proudly claim they too were a Girl Scout? I can! And, so can
more than 59 million other women across the nation according to The Alumnae Impact Study (2012). From
lawyers to doctors to teachers to astronauts – the Girl Scout legacy is strong within this nation. Shaping the
lives of two-thirds of the women in Congress and boasting the largest girl-led, girl-driven business towards
financial literacy program for girls, Juliette Gordon Low’s vision to encourage girls to be the best they can be
through commitment and self-confidence is still the basis of our organization today.
Meet Vicki Briesacher of Brevard County. Vicki is 71 years young, loves
the outdoors, backpacking, traveling and has been a Girl Scout for 51
years! Vicki is an alumna who is actively involved; she volunteers as
an Outdoor Skills Trainer and works with the Outdoor Program Team
teaching Orienteering and Geocaching. Vicki truly believes in the Girl
Scout program and knows what Girl Scouting can do for Girls. As a girl,
Vicki earned the highest award at the time, The Curved Bar, and as an
adult once again, she earned the highest award the Thanks Badge II.
The tradition continued with her daughters; all were Girl Scouts and two
of them earned their Gold Award.
One of the greatest benefits of Girl Scouting is the bond of sisterhood.
Vicki meets regularly for dinners and travels with her alumnae friends – their
latest trip to Savannah. Knowing how important Girl Scouting is Vicki gives
back in many ways; she supports and donates to GIFTs for Girls and is a member of the Juliette Gordon Lowe
Society. She donated GPS units to camp and always supports the Fall Product and Cookie programs.
According to the study, alumnae who were in Girl Scouts for three years or more saw far more benefit to
themselves in the areas of sense of self, civic engagement, education, income, satisfaction with life, success,
leadership, and relationship satisfaction. Would you agree? Perhaps you remember a specific badge that
you earned, a place that you visited, or perhaps it’s a lasting friendship that you have embraced since your
youth. Whatever it is within the Girl Scout legacy that you embrace and remember most – there are other girls
throughout the nation and in our very own Council that feel the same way. And, they need you!
As a member of our Citrus Council Alumnae Association, you will be invited to events and we will keep you
informed about all the exciting programs and activities Girl Scouts has to offer. Whatever your Girl Scout role
may have been – Daisy, Brownie, Junior, troop leader, camp volunteer, staff member or dozens of others –
you are part of a strong network of more than 50 million alumnae. Each of us has a success story to tell and
memories to share, let’s reconnect with old friends and discover a way to support this generation of girls.
Help us build a strong Alumnae Association for Girl Scouts of Citrus. We are hosting a Development and
Planning Meeting at the Council Service Center on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. The meeting
is open to any former Girl Scouts 18 years and older. For more information, please contact Lydia Sealey at
407-228-1625 or email at lsealey@citrus-gs.org.
Remember, once a Girl Scout always a Girl Scout!
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