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Donor Spotlight: Lila Davis
Girl Scout alum and Juliette Gordon Low Society member Lila Davis has been a Girl Scout for more than 70 years. She first joined at the age of 8 and became a member of a troop in Virginia Beach. She loved everything about being a Girl Scout—earning badges, camping and making friends. Her love for singing and music was ignited by Girl Scout experiences. Her memories include going to Camp Matoaka each summer, a camp that was located in Suffolk, Virginia. She eventually became a camp counselor at the camp and recalls taking a bus from Virginia Beach to a Suffolk country store and then trying to catch a ride to get to her job by the start of camp. As a young adult, she also attended Girl Scout Senior Roundups and was chosen as a unit leader at the Roundup held in Colorado Springs in 1959.
“Girls came from all across the country,” Lila said. “Each group brought something to share that was part of their state’s heritage or culture. I remember the group from Texas. They brought a big trunk, and we all were curious about what they brought. We found out a few days later. It was rattlesnakes that they cooked and shared. Tasted like chicken. It certainly was a memory every girl at the Roundup brought home.”
Lila’s memories are many. She often visits troops and entertains them with her stories. Her history in Girl Scouting has been a real asset to the Council’s Archives Committee, where she has served for over a decade. She has helped create exhibits such as the history of Girl Scout Brownies and music in Girl Scouting. This year, Lila is lending a hand in creating a Roundup exhibit that will be placed in Virginia Beach. She also participates in Girl Scout Sing Along groups and has traveled to Maryland and overseas to take part in sing-alongs. For her volunteerism and long-time commitment to the movement, Lila was recognized in 2018 with the Council’s highest adult recognition, the Dorothy Barber Lifetime Achievement Award.
As a donor, Lila has made it possible for girls to attend camp with her support of camperships. She also made the decision several years ago to be part of the Juliette Gordon Low Society and make Girl Scouts part of her legacy. Planned gifts make an important and substantial difference in our Council’s income, and often are game-changing in program delivery, facility upgrades, and reaching new girls. Thanks to Lila and donors like her, their estate gift will be transformational for many generations of Girl Scouts to come—giving all girls the opportunity to become the best version of themselves! Thank you, Lila!
