As a parent, our greatest desire is to ensure that our children are equipped with the skills, strategies, and tools necessary to lead healthy and independent lives.
We also want to make sure we provide a safe environment that allows them to seek new experiences and take risks knowing they are supported by caring adult mentors. For my daughter, she experienced this and so much more with the Girl Scouts.
For more than 106 years, the Girl Scouts’ mission has proven to help girls develop a strong sense of self, display positive values, seek challenges, learn from setbacks, and form and maintain healthy relationships. I have seen this first-hand.
As a board member of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, it is gratifying to know that I serve in good company as 50 percent of female business leaders, 76 percent of female U.S. Senators, and 100 percent of female U.S. Secretaries of State were Girl Scouts.
In today’s world, which has become increasingly filled with distractions, it is more important than ever to maintain the time-tested methods and research-backed programming that has guided the Girl Scouts for more than 10 decades.
The programs designed with, by, and for girls have helped these young women take the lead in their own lives while also driving positive change in their local community.
For generations, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County has been committed to offering girls a safe space where they can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles, and just be themselves. To encourage their development, the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Board is fully committed to offering an inclusive, all-female environment focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, outdoor adventures, development of life skills, and entrepreneurship. In Nassau County, our membership is diverse and our reach all-inclusive, with nearly 30 percent of troop members representing underserved and underrepresented communities.
The Girl Scouts are steadfast in making sure elementary to high-school aged girls know they have every opportunity imaginable to nurture and facilitate their enthusiasm for STEM programs.
When a girl joins Girl Scouts, she has a multitude of activities and development programs that will prepare her with 21st century skills.
For example, our elementary-school initiative “Think Like a Programmer” helps keep girls interested in science and technology as they move on to middle school and high school.
In my opinion, the Girl Scouts bring together the expertise and the insights to help girls develop the skills they need to be leaders in today’s constantly changing, fast-paced world. Tremendous progress has been made; yet more can be done. This is an open invitation for Long Island’s business and civic leaders to get involved.
Let’s work together to build on the Girl Scouts’ model of taking the potential of girls, combining it with robust skill-building programming, and adding active participation by strong role models.
Together, we can broaden girls’ horizons while allowing the Girl Scouts to offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
The Girl Scouts has had a lasting and positive impact on our family, my daughter’s life, and her fellow troop members. The friendships formed and confidence gained are something they carry with them in everything they do.
As a father and board member, I take great pride in supporting the diverse leadership and community-oriented programs the Girl Scouts have to offer. To Girl Scouts of all levels, may you tackle the world and inspire the next generation of girls.
Christopher Pendergast
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Henry Schein, Inc., Vice-President, Girl Scouts of Nassau County Board of Directors.
