Volunteer Spotlight: Jon Schools
Meet Jon Schools, who volunteers as a troop dad in Troop 424. He’s been volunteering ever since his daughter, now a Girl Scout Cadette, first joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy.
“I saw there weren’t many active parents and very few fathers early on when the troop started so my wife and I really wanted to make sure we were there to support not only our daughter but also the troop as a whole,” Jon said. “Our friend from church, Lisa Gehring, had started this troop with her daughter and we have been active volunteers or registered members since the beginning.”
From assisting with cookie season to supporting the troop members earning their Girl Scout Bronze Awards last year, Jon is there with a smile and a helping hand. When the girls wanted to build squirrel cages for the Evelyn’s Wildlife Rescue Center as a Bronze Award project, Jon shared his carpentry skills and taught each of the girls what they needed to know to build the cages, no matter what their ability. He also worked with the girls to build a time-machine cookie booth!
Receiving his 2023 Volunteer of Excellence Award from GSCCC Board Chair, Marisa Porto
Jon with his family sitting on a bench outside of A Place for Girls
“I have had a blast with our troop,” Jon said. “We’ve taken the girls to the Chrysler Museum for a Glass Blowing Tour, visited the zoo, and I’ve trained the girls on how to fish and use ‘Leave No Trace Behind’ concepts while camping or in the outdoors. Recently, I joined the troop in the Save the Bay Day event, where my daughter and I volunteered to pick up trash at a park in Virginia Beach. One of the best experiences was taking my daughter to the Norfolk Tides game this year during the Girl Scout Night at the stadium!”
Like many dads, Jon volunteers to build a strong relationship with his daughter. “While I was in the Navy, I didn’t spend a lot of time with my daughter while she was a toddler. Now I work anywhere from 40-60 hours a week, so I have limited family time during the work week. Being a part of this troop has truly given me the opportunity to be there and strengthen our relationship. I truly feel blessed being involved with the troop as we have been able to spend more time together than ever before.”
