Turning up the unexpected

"Things don't turn up in this world unless somebody turns them up."

James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President

I liked this quote for today.  And of course it fits in with our Gold and Silver Award girls Take Action Projects...

Both Awards are focused on the girl identifying an issue and looking for the root cause.  And maybe, in the process of looking, the girls turn up something unexpected.  And maybe, it's a key need that is not being addressed in the community.  Perhaps, she's interested in helping the homeless, beyond a collection project.  And perhaps, in diving deep into the issue, she finds that there is less than adequate local help to meet the need in her area. 

The girl is taking the initiative and identifying the need. She then has the opportunity to create partnerships with existing agencies, start a new tutoring program for kids without homes, create and run an after school program throughout a school year or whatever project her investigation leads her to.  As we all know, there's not just one answer to a problem.  Our girls have the tools and character to Take Action to make change.

In their years of Scouting, they have learned to Discover and Connect. The Gold and Silver Award Projects are just bigger ways to Take Action.  Again, it's not about starting with the project, it's about identifying the issues and root causes to make a difference in the world. Their world.

And what's our role as parents, advisors, leaders, friends?  To support them in their efforts!  Not do it for them, but give them guidance, coach and support.  There may be tears and frustration, but the girl will learn, sometimes it takes to get to joyful success.  We're here to help, not do.

And we're here to make sure they celebrate their success.  Big time.