CHARTERED in the CNMI on September 20, 1999, the Girl Scouts of the Northern Mariana Islands has devoted itself to its mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
The organization devotes itself to enabling young girls to develop self-esteem and leadership skills, whilst providing an atmosphere of warm and true friendship.
For over two decades, the organization has recruited young girls and women to make important contributions to the community, underscoring the need for female empowerment in the islands and beyond.
This year, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, the largest voluntary organization in the world for girls, is celebrating 110 years since its founding.
The program not only reflects the enduring values and standards that have been part of the organization since its inception, but also lends itself to the special and unique situation of girls in the new millennium.
“It takes a village to lead our young women,” said U.S. Girl Scouts Overseas Committee chairperson Tania P. David.
The organization was led by local residents, prior to David coming on board as its treasurer in 2014, led by Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation gift shop employee Kim Coats and Northern Marianas College Nursing instructor Cynthia “Cyndy” Tice.
David said that all women who support the nurturing and growth of girls and youth in general are inspirations to the NMI Girl Scouts.
“No one person can lead such a diverse organization,” she said.
Known for their delicious Girl Scout cookies, sales amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic proved to be quite a challenge for the young girls and their mentors.
But they persevered anyway.
Initially, the renowned cookies were sold on Guam and other U.S. states, but through guidance from the U.S. Girl Scout Overseas counterparts in Japan, the NMI Girl Scouts were able to sell actual Girl Scout Cookies on Saipan in their first cookie rally and sales in February 2020.
“That was a huge hurdle to beat and a dream that finally came to life for many of us. The pandemic has also caused a lot of issues, mostly because vaccines were not being offered to kids below the age of 12, so we were unable to have a cookie rally or cookie sales in 2021,” said David.
She said this was a prime example of “breaking the bias,” in that they did not settle to not sell cookies on Saipan.
“Being left out made us feel left out. We persistently asked, questioned, and kept the conversation going until finally someone in our head management at the U.S. Girl Scouts Overseas led us to a representative in Japan by the name of Vicky. She helped us successfully set up a path to get cookies to Saipan. Then we had our first rally and cookie sales, and the rest is history,” she added.
Asked how business leaders, schools, families, and community members can empower future women in the workplace, in schools, at home, and in the community, David said, “As a woman in business myself with the same organization going on 25 years, I would say that power is earned, then practiced and used positively to help others. By doing so, we can encourage others and support the movement to continuously grow.”
“Sometimes, all it takes is a few kind words of encouragement and, in other times, financial support to make things happen. I guess it all depends on how much power you have to share in a positive way,” she said.
As an organization, the greatest lesson that is taught and exemplified is to lead by example.
“Girls, and kids in general, are like sponges; they absorb what their environment dictates. If we can put positive examples and expose them to fun and engaging programs that revolve around our ever-changing world, hopefully they will find the desire to push themselves to be the best they can be, so that they can be productive citizens in our community,” said David.
“I believe that as women, we naturally want to nurture and care for others. This is an important quality to have, most especially in leadership roles because those that want to follow a good leader will do so if they feel that they are being cared for. It takes time to develop interpersonal skills to balance being fair and unbiased, and to be able to work through challenges as a leader, but caring for the person in the process, will help foster growth.”
David said she feels that future women in the CNMI are granted equal opportunity to pursue their career ambitions.
“Times have changed so much that women have not only equalized to what was once a predominately male workforce, but have excelled. There are so many opportunities for women nowadays. We just need to make the effort to find them and make them work for us,” she said.
To young girls who are considering pursuing the same path, or a similar path, as an NMI Girl Scout, David said, “Always be a good person, work hard for what you want, and never ever settle for anything less than your worth.”
The NMI Girl Scouts are inviting the general public to a 110th Birthday Cookie Sale-abration this Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Bank of Guam-Garapan Branch drive-thru.
