Did you know that being a girl scout can prepare you for pageantry? You didn’t? Keep reading.
I started working on this post in January of this year, but I got distracted by other projects and tabled it. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of judging the optional competitions at the NAM Georgia Pageant in Atlanta, Georgia. During the talent optional competition, one of the contestants decided to dress up in her Girl Scout uniform and sing the Girl Scout cookie song that went viral in 2018.
I was amused, but it triggered my memory start back writing this post. Well, here it goes!
What is Girl Scouts?
Girl Scouts is a leadership development program for girls. It was started over 100 years ago (March 12, 1912) in Savannah, Georgia by Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. The Girls Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
My Girl Scout Story
As a five or six year old (I honestly cannot remember), I began my Girl Scout journey as a Daisy Scout. I remember have meetings at this tiny hut in Roanoke, Alabama with my fellow Girl Scout troopers. Even though my Girl Scout journey was short lived and ended as a Junior Scout, I still cherish those memorable moments of making pizzas at Domino’s, making crafts, going on trips, and earning badges. One of my favorite activities as a girl scout was the yearly cookie sales. I loved taking my cookie order sheet to church and other places to get those orders and meet my cooking selling goal. Selling cookies taught me about entrepreneurship, organization, and communication. Now I may not have known that as a little girl, but as I got older I realized those traits prepared me for pageantry.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship taught me you have to have a strategy in order to make the sales accomplish your goals. Those cookies were not going to sell themselves and neither will a pageant pay for itself unless you have a sound strategy. You have to have a means to pay for the pageant. This can be in the form of a sponsorship, side hustle, or business. Whichever direction you decide to go in, you must create a plan and execute.
Organization
Organization is very important in pageantry. You will be in charge of completing pageant paperwork, creating a bio, crafting a personal introduction, paying fees, purchasing wardrobe, hair, and makeup, meeting with coaches, booking transportation and accommodations, etc. As a girl scout, I had to be organized with keeping accurate records of who ordered cookies, payments made, and when and where the cookies would be delivered. Of course, I had my mom to assist me, but organization was still key. The same thing goes for pageantry. It is best to keep a pageant handbook or journal of the things you need and dates/deadlines to remember in your journey to the crown. You cannot be successful if you are not organized.
Communication
Closed mouths do not get fed. If I wanted to sell those cookies, I had to speak up and ask. If you need assistance with your pageant, you will need to be able to communicate that in an effective manner. Most pageants have an interview and/or on-stage portion of competition, so it is imperative that you learn how to communicate. If you need assistance in this area, hire a coach or join your local Toastmasters.
These are the things I learned from being a girl scout and how it prepared me for pageantry. Here are some additional insights from current and former queens who were also girl scouts.
Girl Scout Testimonials
Andrea Kellum
2014 America’s Fit Mrs.
Brownie – Senior
Girl Scouts lessons that I have used in pageantry and in life are how to support others without giving up my own value, the importance of community service and freedom in creativity. I also learned my life and crown are about being a servant and not about being served. Most importantly for me, I learned to honor God in everything I do.
Madyson Fraime
2018 America’s National Junior Teenager
Brownie – Ambassador
I learned how to stay organized; I learned the idea for a 30 second elevator speech by selling cookies for 6 years; the difference I can make in the world by being active in the community; and how to set smart goals.
Shamieka B. Johnson Sims
2018 U.S. United Queen of Queens
Daisy – Ambassador
Regional Recruitment Manager for Girls Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands
For me being a Girl Scout prepared me for pageantry because it taught me that we can support each other as girls and women although we may be competing. At the end of the day, we are still sisters and have each other’s back. It also taught me that there is nothing that I cannot do and it does not matter my color, my size, or my height because there is no limitation to what I can accomplish especially when you have a sisterhood around you for support.
Yolanda Duncan
Ms. Jacksonville Plus America 2019
14 Year Girl Scout
The mission of girl scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence and character. I truly believe girl scouts taught me to be all three. I lacked courage to try new things and to speak in public settings. I had confidence, but I still doubted myself when it came to a lot of things. Here is the great part about it and it’ll probably be different from others. I started Girl Scouts as an adult member. Yep, I was a freshman in college when I became a girl scout in 2004. I was approached on campus about working at girl scout camp. To be a leader or even work for Girl Scouts you have to become a member. It was the best decision I’ve made, and it was life changing. I was shy and always avoided the public eye, but being a Girl Scout helped me overcome my fear of public speaking. I figured if I could sing crazy songs and dance in front of tweens and teens (the most critical audience), then I could speak in front of a crowd.
Alex Van Dyke
USOA Miss Albany 2018
Direct Delivery Assistant for Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia
So my Girl Scout journey is a little unique. I was a Girls Inc. of Albany girl from 2000 to 2013, and Girl Scouts would have a Direct Delivery Assistant come do journeys with us. In December 2017, I started working at Girl Scouts of Historic as their new Direct Delivery Assistant. I started troops at local schools delivering Girl Scouts programming to hard to reach areas. I started competing in pageants in 2014 at 19 years old, and it started as just a new way to pay for school because I was sick of writing essays for scholarship money. Being involved with Girl Inc. and Girl Scouts lead me to my platform GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). It advocates for female youth development, and is a collaborative network for organizations, like Girl Scouts and Girls Inc., to create partnerships to enhance their missions together. I never knew how much these organizations were key to molding me into the young woman I am today. I was taught to be a risk taker, innovator, and a voice for those who have not stepped into their own. Pageants were how I became my best self to be an asset to community and fulfill the mission of my platform.
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