The Unexpected Leader

Stacey Leinen puts it plainly. Had she the choice of activity, she’d be playing softball. But if the girls want to sew ground cushions for their next campfire song session, then sewing it is.

“I thought, Girl Scouts? Oh my gosh. I’m such a tomboy,” she says at her dining room table. In the next room is a giggling, chatty group of girls. Two are her own daughters, Mika, 13, and Kaylana, 9. “But this gives me so much mother-daughter time, and it’s just been so great for my girls.”

To be a mother, in itself, is a miracle. In 2001, Stacey and her husband, Destin, began a long, arduous two-year struggle to start a family. After unsuccessful infertility treatments and even a failed private adoption, the two turned to foster care as a way to pave the path to parenthood. While on a trip to Florida in 2003, Stacey got a phone call from a case worker saying a sibling group needed to be placed immediately. Having no other information other than there were two girls and one boy, the Leinens emphatically said yes. They rushed home, pulled together all of their resources and help from friends, and created a home that was kid-friendly in a matter of days. Mika was five years old at the time, Kaylana, 22 months, and Berlen, their brother, was six months old.

Four years later, the Leinens formally adopted their children on October 1, 2007. After working diligently on behavioral and health issues with each child, Stacey realized that Mika was still struggling to find her place.

“She was in fourth grade and even though she liked sports and was athletic, she had a hard time with friends,” says Stacey. “So I thought the Girl Scouts would help.”

Help would be putting it mildly. In four years time, involvement in the Girl Scouts brought Mika from insecurity and displacement to a position of leadership, confidence and compassion for others. She began as a Junior and is now a Cadet. Kaylana began her scouting career last year, and even Berlen, at age seven, is enjoying his role as a cub scout. Destin, as you might imagine, is a den leader. Today, Stacey leads two troops, #5189 and #5754, both a mixture of Brownies, Juniors and Cadets.

“When we started, the troop seemed so unorganized, so I just took it and ran with it. I like to lead and I don’t like chaos,” laughs Stacey. “The Girl Scouts set values, morals and ethics, and we say the Girl Scout Promise at every meeting.” As if on cue, Mika overhears our discussion and recites the entire pledge from the other room without a single pause or mistake.

Not to dismiss the importance of setting her daughters on a proper moral path, the other benefits of scouting has benefitted her children in the way of providing structure, interaction with other kids, and having a say in what they want to learn about. Brainstorming activity ideas for badges based on the interests of the girls plays a large role in a year of scouting.

However, to keep the traditions of scouting moving forward, the organization heavily relies on the volunteer work of others, everything from troop leadership to chaperoning monthly events.

“We do need leaders for troops. We need ideas for new learning experiences,” says Stacey. “A lot of troops have moms and dads who drop girls off and leave, and that’s okay because people are busy. But we still need help.”

Sometimes help comes in the form of offering your place of business for a field trip or tagging along on a camping trip. Though time and energy requirements are valid considerations, Stacey believes there is always something a Girl Scout Mom or Dad can do to help.

“We try to be as resourceful as we can, making phone calls for craft supplies or borrowing whatever we can,” she says. “Anyone can help, grandparents too. You don’t even have to have a child in scouting to volunteer.”

Quick Facts
- There are 26,721 Girl Scouts in the Texas Oklahoma Plains, Inc., as well as 8,944 adult members in the 81 counties served by the council. In the Amarillo area, there are 3,274 girls and 1,002 adults registered.
- The Girl Scouts was founded in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912 by Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low.
- It is estimated that more than 50 million women were involved in scouting during their childhood.

Girl Scout Promise and Law
The Girl Scout Promise and Law are shared by every member of Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout Promise is the way Girl Scouts agree to act every day toward one another and other people, and the Girl Scout Law outlines a way to act towards one another and the world.

The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
*courtesy of the Girl Scouts of America

You Can Help
- Hike, bike, canoe and enjoy other outdoor activities at a day or overnight camp.
- Chaperone an outing of your choice.
- Offer your profession as part of an educational series.
- Help plan a trip across the state, country, or even the world. Tag along, if you like.
- Assist or become a troop leader

For more information about volunteering with the Girl Scouts, call 356.0096.

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