April Volunteer of the Month: Libby Chapin
Libby Chapin honored as Girl Scout Volunteer of the Month
April 01, 2024
GRANITEVILLE, VT – Girl Scout volunteers transform lives – for both their Girl Scouts and themselves. In Barre, a team of Girl Scout volunteers run four troops for dozens of girls in kindergarten through 12th grade, including Elizabeth “Libby” Chapin of Graniteville. Chapin is being honored at the Volunteer of the Month for April by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving Girl Scouts across Vermont and New Hampshire.
“Libby has also served as the Community Product Sale Coordinator in her area for more than ten years,” said Amanda Powell, the volunteer support specialist for the council. “As CPSC, Libby provides invaluable support to the leaders in her community. Not only does she offer guidance and support through her training and willingness to attend booths, but she has also been known to make a ‘cookie run’ on a troop’s behalf if they need extra cookies. Libby also helped with the Fall Product program last year and stepped in to become the cookie cupboard manager for her community. Her presence, flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile (sometimes literally!) means that the 130 girls in her community are able to meet and exceed their fundraising goals every year. With the money earner, girls are able to give back to their communities, travel, and explore and learn new things they would never have had available to them otherwise. The impact she has had on the youth in her community cannot be overstated – her presence has allowed these girls to open so many doors over the years.”
“It’s just amazing to watch them grow,” said Chapin about her Girl Scouts. “I think that’s what keeps me doing this.”
Chapin started volunteering when her three daughters joined. Two of those girls are now adult lifetime members of Girl Scouts, as is Chapin herself. One is now a troop leader and another is a Fall Product coordinator and troop leader. Her youngest is a second-year Junior.
She is a leader or co-leader of Troop 30560 – a group of Junior Girl Scouts, Troop 30056 – nine 6-12th graders, Troop 30048 – 17 Brownie, and Troop 30002, at least 14 Daisies. All meet at the Universalist Church in Barre. She’s also been a cookie cupboard manager for six years – coordinating the storage and distribution of cookies for area troops.
Teamwork is the key, as Chapin handles the bulk of the record-keeping for the troops along with all the details of Girl Scout Cookie sales.
“Val's the leader for the Daisies. Linda is the leader for the Brownies,” she said. “Then I'm kind of technically the leader for the other two. But I actually have a couple volunteers. Wanda, who covers my Juniors, basically, this year. This was fresh this year, because before it was me. And then Trina has stepped up and Krystal, that are doing my Cadettes. and I'm kind of there. But I'm kind of in the background, because I'm the one doing the whole keeping track of everything.”
Her Girl Scouts enjoy going on field trips and earning badges and patches. This year all levels earned their Cookie Entrepreneur pins. They’ve enjoyed camporees and observing World Thinking Day, a Girl Scout holiday dedicated to awareness of global issues.
While volunteering has meant dedicating many personal hours to Girl Scouts, including taking training for outdoor camping and archery, Chapin said she thinks it’s important work.
“There’s a lot for the girls to learn from Girl Scouts,” she said. “I think it’s a great program.”
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains thanks Chapin and her team of volunteers for all their hard work and dedication.
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.
