A Girl Scout Story
By GSCCC Volunteer Cheryl McGrenra
I first joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie while growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1969. My parents took me to Gimbel’s and bought me the uniform, including the beanie, socks, and stretchy belt. When I was a Junior Girl Scout, I can remember wearing white knee-high boots for a Court of Awards Ceremony. We each had a turn in saying a part of the law, and my part was “A Girl Scout is thrifty.” (I had a speech impediment, and said, “A Girl Scout is wifty.”) In my later years as a Girl Scout, I was fortunate enough to be in a troop that went camping. I can remember pitching the orange nylon tent in February, and it being covered in frost the next morning. I went on to earn my First Class Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts at that time (now known as the Gold Award) and received letters from dignitaries and a replica Liberty Bell from the mayor.
I grew up and to work for the Internal Revenue Service from July 1980 until June 1990. I married Joe McGrenra on June 11, 1988, and gave birth to our only daughter, Caryn, on August 22, 1989.
Our family moved to Chesapeake, Virginia in October 1992, and then into a new house in Virginia Beach in April of the following year. When my daughter went to kindergarten, I started volunteering at her school and we attended a Girl Scout recruitment there. The first troop we joined didn’t work out. The neighboring troop already had 18 girls in it, and the leader really didn’t want any more until I said that I would help at every meeting. The leader was very adamant that she wasn’t continuing with Brownies, so I said that I would. By the time the girls finished kindergarten, I had completed my leader training and had 20 Girl Scouts in my troop. I later got two third graders who joined the troop too, and they were great “program aides in training.”
Caryn, Joe and Cheryl at Samoa Soiree in 2016
Cheryl reads the Gold Award Charge at the 2024 awards event
Cheryl at her retirement ceremony with CEO Tracy Keller
In the spring when my daughter was in kindergarten, a mom who was a Brownie leader in a different service unit convinced me and another friend of hers to sign up to volunteer at summer camp at First Landing State Park for four weeks: Camp Linkhorn. The three of us met and talked about what activities we could do with the girls, and we made a plan where we would all be in the same unit with our girls and have a great time! Well, that didn’t happen; we were considered “experienced” because we had led troops, so they separated us into different units for the summer. Those four weeks of being in the heat all day, in the woods, with 20-25 girls each week went by quickly. We even survived the walk across Shore Drive to get to the beach for our swim time.
The mom who had first convinced us to volunteer at summer camp moved back to Pennsylvania the next summer, and the two of us who were left became the faces of summer day camp, leading Girl Scouts in sailing, canoeing and more. We were instructors, co-leaders, and friends for a very long time. In addition, I held numerous positions during my time as a volunteer, including the program and training volunteer field administrator for the service unit, troop leader, service unit delegate, cookie cupboard, and product sales auditor.
The moment I went from being a quiet person who listened instead of talked was when my very good friend helped me to prepare to take the American Camp Association Flatwater Canoe Course. The course was a full weekend, and you might not pass completely; you could have restrictions to have to facilitate with another fully-certified instructor. I can still remember the instructors’ shocked faces when I gave my training session. I was determined to be energetic and excited, and that night I came out of my shell. On Sunday as I waited to go to my debriefing, I was so nervous that I hadn’t passed the course. When it was my turn to go in, the instructors said they were amazed at what I done all weekend, both in the water and in the classroom. I was fully certified (one of only two people who made it) and I was so happy! My hard work paid off, and I made a name for myself.
Linda Linke and Cheryl McGrenra at GSCCC's volunteer awards event in 2023
Cheryl at a JGL Society event during the 2023 National Girl Scout Convention
I was my daughter’s troop leader until she graduated from high school. Over the course of volunteering for Girl Scouts, I earned the Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Leader, Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, and Thanks Badge II awards. I held numerous positions, including acting as a cookie cupboard where I broke my ankle helping someone carry cases of cookies to her car. I was awarded Volunteer of the Year for my daughter’s elementary school. Because of Girl Scouts, I was able to step up when my daughter was completing ninth grade and became band president until she graduated from high school. Without Girl Scouts helping me find my voice, I would have never even considered taking on that position.
After my daughter went off to college, I wanted to return to working full time. I sent my resume in for a government position since I had previously worked for them in Philadelphia, but my hope was to work for the local Girl Scout council because I believed in the power of the Movement. I applied for a membership specialist position, twice, and was finally selected the second time. (Coincidentally, I started working for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast on July 2, 2008; I had also started working for the Internal Revenue Service on July 2, 1980!) I eventually became the adult learning manager in 2013.
On October 8, 2021, I retired from Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. I did not, however, walk away from Girl Scouts. Today I am an active member of the Gold Award Committee, Board Development Committee, and Archives Committee; I am an adult learning facilitator, a service unit delegate, have served as an alternate National Delegate since 2022 and am serving as a National Delegate until January 2025. The reason why I am volunteering for Girl Scouts again is because I believe in the mission and know firsthand what Girl Scouts can do for girls and adults.
I still reside in Virginia Beach with my husband and English bulldog, Annie. I am a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, and so is my Gold Award Girl Scout daughter, Caryn, who is now a veterinarian practicing in Chesapeake.
(You can listen to an interview with Caryn McGrenra in Episode 7 of our podcast.)
