Manchester woman named Girl Scout Volunteer of the Month
Molly Nawrath leads Troop 51726
December 01, 2023
MANCHESTER, VT – In her sixth year as a Girl Scout troop leader, Molly Nawrath has doubled the size of her troop, kept them involved through the COVID-19 pandemic, and found that Girl Scouts is a great way to stay involved and connected to her daughters.
Nawrath, 40, of Manchester, has been named the Volunteer of the Month for December by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving Girl Scouts across Vermont and New Hampshire.
“She’s very dedicated to her troop and was super open to the idea of working with any other troop that opens in town, including sharing her experience and knowledge,” said Amanda Powell, volunteer support specialist with the council.
Nawrath said her girls wanted to join starting in kindergarten, and she loves seeing them enjoy the program, learning and growing.
Girl Scouts is so much more than cookie sales and crafts for Troop 51726, a group of 18 Daises, Brownies, and Juniors in grades K-5 that meets at the Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. They most recently did community service hosting a Trunk or Treat for Halloween at the church, enjoyed mini golf and a bounce house at an end-of-year celebration, painted pottery, gone rock-climbing and done walking hikes. At last year’s Town Meeting, they led citizens in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Nawrath said she’d like everyone to understand that Girl Scouts has a lot to offer everyone.
“It’s a lot of science and engineering,” she said. “You know, the STEM badges. There still can be arts and crafts and those kinds of fun things, but there's more to it than just that. And I think also that cookie sales are more than just having somebody buy cookies.”
When one of her Girl Scouts was a little embarrassed by the adults waving signs, she told them to do a little market research and ask customers at a cookie booth why they bought. Sure enough, the answer was signs and Facebook posts.
“I really think cookie sales and fall product sales have brought both of my girls out of their shell,” she said. “They're way more willing to talk to people at booths. They create little dances and songs, and they love making posters and really getting into it. They have their whole sales pitch that they do.”
Since these Girl Scouts were very young during the pandemic, Nawrath kept things simple, but she looks forward to doing bigger projects.
As a registered nurse with a husband, house, and two kids to care for, she manages to fit Girl Scouts into her busy schedule with a smile.
“It’s not as hard as it seems,” she said. “It does not have to take a ton of time. It can. But you get out of it what you put into it. But even so, it can be a great experience for the girls without, it eating into your life.”
Nawrath takes advantage of council help like the Volunteer Toolkit and its troop meeting plans to lessen the work and planning. Plus, she notes, there are many Facebook groups that offer help and suggestions. She also has the valuable help and assistance she gets from her adult troop volunteers as the troop grew in size.
“So we've been able to make the increase in numbers work, and one of my other good friends has last year joined as my co-leader, which was nice,” she said “Rachel Strecker is my main co-leader and her daughter, Eleanor, is also a second-year, Brownie, and then Danyella (Strobel) is a new mom with her daughter, Ella, who are Daisies. Clara (Adams) has helped with her daughter, Sophie, and then Nicole (Wengerd) has helped with her daughters, Wren and Charley.”
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is proud to call Molly Nawrath its Volunteer of the Month as she mentors this amazing group of Girl Scouts on their way to becoming young women of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.
Interested in volunteering? See girlscoutsgwm.org.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
