Working with the Non-Profit

I had a great chat with a Cadette leader the other day.  She and I had been talking about her 3 Cadette girls coming up with a Take Action Project for their Silver Award. 

They all live in Huntington Beach, and there has been all sorts of debate about what to do about the coyotes that roam the neighborhoods. Some people feed them, some run and hide, and some want to have the city shoot them.  It's a big issue!  And the girls have decided that they would like to avoid destroying the coyotes, and instead, provide education to the residents of HB on how to live with coyotes.

They have their issue identified, and so the girls found a partner in the city of HB.  The city is really interested in getting out literature to educate the residents about coyotes.  So when the advisor was talking with the city rep, in preparation for the girls coming in, she was told that the city would love to have all these boxes of literature distributed around the city. AND they would love to have the girls at the Tuesday market every week, at a booth that would be stocked by the city....and how many days would they commit to?

Whew!  First off, it's great to have a partner so enthused about the prospect of help.  But second, where's the leadership for the girls, if the city just wants delivery service?  So as the advisor and I were chatting, we realized that it was a question to put to the girls:  "How did they want to use their leadership to affect change in their community?"

The girls may choose to do a series of nights at the Tuesday night market.  They may choose to do drop off delivery of literature to the libraries in HB AND present their presentation of why it's important to know how to deal with the coyotes.  Or they may choose to create a video and have it presented to different audiences. If they do choose the Tuesday market, they would have the opportunity to partner with other agencies to provide information to give to the public. But whatever they do, it will be their choice, and they will work together and with their team to achieve their goal.

Great ways to use their leadership to make a change in their community!  I don't know what they're going to choose, or when they're going to do it, but I do know that they are committed to the issue, and they will do what they can.  They will make it meaningful both to themselves, and those they will be serving.

I'll keep you posted!  I'm sure I'll hear more....