When you sign your daughter up for Guiding, there are tons of opportunities for her to shine. Let us introduce you to Ellie – she’s all kinds of amazing. She was recently recognized with a 2017 Girl Greatness Award. We dare you not to feel all the feels after reading her story:
“My name is Ellie. I am 8-years old. I am one of the only girls in my unit who cannot read and write things on my own. This made me feel very bad about myself because I try really hard to read but it is taking me longer than anybody else I know.
I am the only homeschooled girl in my unit. I am also the only girl (that I know of) that loves dinosaurs and snakes more than dolls or dresses. All these big differences make me stand out and feel really shy.
I begged my mom to let me quit Brownies because I felt so silly and different. She told me to be myself and take my time. I stopped trying to be like the other girls and started talking about what makes me special.
I am going to read a story to the unit this month. Brownies gave me confidence so I am excited to do it because I know they will support me. I am also planning to bring my toy dinosaur collection so I can teach them all about the different dinosaurs. I am so excited that I can teach them… maybe another girl will learn to love dinosaurs too!
Thank you for helping me with my confidence. I’m pretty awesome and Brownies helped me see that.”
Here’s what Ellie’s mom Caroline has to say about how Guiding helped her daughter truly shine:
“I continue to be in awe over how much Elizabeth has grown over her two years of Guiding. She had one year in Sparks before moving up to Brownies and that transition was very difficult for her at first. She was still quite shy and was feeling like she had to start all over again with a new group.
By the spring, she was a completely different girl – she was racing out the door to go to Brownies, going to every sleepover and not shying away from questions about her love of dinosaurs, homeschooling experiences or things that made her unique.
Just a few short months ago, Elizabeth would become quite distraught if she thought more than one person was looking at her and the thought of introducing herself to anybody terrified her. Now she has no problems making friends, proudly wears her Brownie sash (it’s nearly full after only her first year) and is an incredibly confident and helpful little 8-year-old both at home and in her unit.
Brownies has truly brought out the best qualities in Elizabeth that were hiding right under the surface. I can honestly say that being a Brownie is one of the best things that ever happened to our Ellie girl.”
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