Leader of Troop 58267 is second generation Girl Scout
RUTLAND, VT – The enthusiasm and positivity that flows from a Girl Scout troop leader creates a welcoming, encouraging, and inspiring experience for the girls in that troop. Because Jacqueline Maisonet brings those qualities to Girl Scout Troop 58267, Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains has named her the Volunteer of the Month for January.
Maisonet, 30, of Rutland, is a second-generation troop leader, and she gives credit to her mother, Pam Parizo, who led her childhood troop, for instilling a passion for Girl Scouting in her.
“My mom made it something special,” she said, noting that even when she had to move and leave her school as a child, her mother kept her Girl Scout troop in her life. Maisonet continues to rely on her mother for advice and help, and she follows her mother’s example of making sure all interested girls can join, even assisting with the payment of dues through cookie earnings.
At the Girl Scout council which assists troops across Vermont and New Hampshire, Maisonet made an impression. “She has an amazing positive attitude and is eager to learn,” said Amanda Powell, volunteer support specialist at the council. “She’s passionate about Girl Scouting.”
Maisonet leads a mixed troop of 13 girls, including Daisies (those in kindergarten and first grade), Brownies (those in second and third grades), and one Junior (for fourth and fifth grade). Her daughters, Bella, 9, and Lily, 6, are part of that troop. The troop earned 11 badges during the past membership year, and are always eager to learn and to give back to their community. They are looking forward to baking cookies to take to their local firefighters – a project that the girls decided they wanted to do once they found out some firefighters have to work and can’t be with their families over the holidays.
“I love the fact that there’s something that empowers girls so well,” she said. “Girl Scouts has a great structure.” Her girls have hiked to Pine Park, visited a credit union to learn about money management, held food drives to participate in Rutland’s annual Stuff a Bus, and have even read stories to the dogs at the Humane Society.
She encourages every girl to grow and take on responsibility, and lets them guide the decisions on what badges to earn or projects to take on. She has given the one Junior girl the responsibility of taking roll and leading the pledge, which this Girl Scout has loved.
With Girl Scout Cookie season now underway, her troop is eager to earn and learn.
“The first year, the comment was: When do we bake the cookies?” she recalled. “So we went far into it and they wanted to know where do the cookies come from, why do the cookies cost $5, and we only get so much. So I explained where the money goes.” Once the girls understood the concepts of manufacturing, distribution and profit, they were eager to plan how to use their earnings. “We haven’t done a cookie booth yet,” she said. “We might this year. We’re getting a little older, so we’ll try a booth.”
Last year they used those earnings to make donations to the animal shelter, for Green Up Day supplies, and to cover the cost of dues.
Volunteering for Girl Scouts gives Maisonet a sense of purpose and connection to community. “It’s worth all the time! The council makes it easy to be a troop leader,” she said. “It’s a great thing to be part of. I know these girls and what’s happening in their lives, so it’s a place they can come and relax and enjoy themselves.”
When she’s not taking care of her family or cooking to feed the students at Christ the King School, Maisonet is always thinking about her Girl Scouts. “It really does make me a happy. I really want to instill in these girls that they can do anything. For me, I want them to go forward and be whatever they want.” She encourages others to consider volunteering.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is grateful to Maisonet for sharing her talents and passion, and embodying the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ philosophy that drives Girl Scouts. She is deserving of the honor of Volunteer of the Month for January, as she helps her Girl Scouts become young women of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
About Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains: Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is recognized throughout New Hampshire and Vermont as a leading expert on girls. Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that helps girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. Through our exciting and challenging programs, Girl Scouts not only participate but also take the lead in a range of activities—from kayaking, archery, and camping, to coding, robotics, financial literacy training, and beyond! Serving more than 10,000 girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org.
