September 10 was a special day as Girl Scouts from around Badgerland gathered for the Annual Meeting and Recognition Celebration. It was a fun three hours, filled with celebrating the 286 Top Cookie Sellers, electing Board members and honoring outstanding adult volunteers. The day was hosted by two members of Badgerland’s Youth Leadership Council, Tori Braun and Annie Logan.

Four amazing adult volunteers were in the spotlight for the incredible work they do building girls of courage, confidence and character.

Three volunteers were honored with the Volunteer of Excellence award. This award is given to volunteers that demonstrate outstanding service while partnering directly with girls, in any pathway, to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. It is also given in recognition of exceptional service in support of the council’s mission.

Gretel Irving is the co-leader of super-active Stoughton Troop 3662. With Gretel’s support, her troop attends girl-led events, has recently finished their Bronze Award and is already planning their Silver Award projects.

Gretel is also a valuable member of her Membership Area Leadership Team (MALT), where she helps organize signature events for Girl Scouts in her community, including a camporee and World Thinking Day event. She’s even volunteered her time to work with the Badgerland program team and helped create our new Girl Scout Makers program.

One of Gretel’s Girl Scouts, who is now a Cadette, wrote this about her, “Gretel is a beautiful person inside and out. She leads us on one adventure after another and makes it fun and I am a better person for it. She is a good example of the Girl Scout Promise and Law and she would make Juliette Gordon Low proud!”

Mary Salvi stepped up to lead Monona Troop 2193 nine year ago, when the girls were just Brownies. Today, they’re high school seniors and soon will be bridge to adult, taking with them Girl Scout memories that will last their lifetime. Throughout the years, Mary has created opportunities for the girls to take responsibility and assume leadership roles for big projects including, most recently, planning, writing scripts, making costumes and running the entire bridging ceremony for Membership Area 12. It was a huge undertaking but the girls learned their skills from Mary.

Described by her troop parents and girls as an honest, fair and ultra-organized woman, Mary has to be super organized because she volunteers for a multitude things; everything from MALT, Kon Tiki, CampHERO, My Guy & I, Frostiball Dance, Sisterhood Party, Winter Craft Day and the list goes on and on.

In the words of one her troop members, “Mary always puts others before herself and is always wanting to help others. Mary is not just a friend of mine, she is also my Girl Scout Troop Leader, forever and always.”

Michelle Vasquez has embraced Girl Scouts as a troop leader, a parent…a leader…and she truly embodies the Girl Scout law. Co-leader of Troop 2379, her girls are busy with non-stop fun all year round. Michelle believes that fun, enriching programs make for a fantastic Girl Scout experience, and is always looking for new opportunities for her girls.

And while at those programs, Michelle goes above and beyond to insure that every single girl is engaged and experiencing the intended outcome of each activity. One of Michelle’s troop members, a Girl Scout Brownie, shared how she learned to be a ‘can do’ person, just like Michelle, and she loves Girl Scouts because, “it is fun and very very very very very very very very very veeeeeeery active and awesome because of Michelle!”

A proud military veteran, Michelle says that she gets just as much out of volunteering as her Girl Scouts. In fact, Michelle credits her troop with helping her fulfill a dream she’s held since childhood – going back to school and become an elementary school teacher.

Cindy Rosch was recognized with the Honor Pin award. The Honor Pin is awarded to an individual whose service is outstanding above and beyond the expectations, and whose efforts have a far-reaching impacting. And that, in a nutshell, describes Cindy. She has a passion for the Girl Scout mission and a desire to see every girl empowered to explore her dreams.

It’s been two years now since a chance encounter brought Cindy to Badgerland’s Philanthropy Committee, and all-volunteer committee that works behind the scenes to help raise funds to support our Girl Scouts. Their work is critical to the mission, and Cindy brought fresh ideas and tons of enthusiasm when she came on board. She took a leadership role in getting the Badgerland Alumnae organized and involved in philanthropy. And more than that, she works tirelessly to coordinate alumnae gatherings like this fall’s upcoming event in Baraboo…she has established an alumnae e-newsletter and regularly pens requests for the financial support of girls.

It’s also important to Cindy that every girl can experience the outdoors through Girl Scouting. A volunteer member of Badgerland’s Campership Committee, she spends countless hours reviewing each and every application for camp financial assistance and plays an essential role in making sure girls can get to camp without a financial barrier.

One of the people who work with Cindy says, “When thanked for her extraordinary volunteer efforts, Cindy often jests and jokingly refers to herself as just a busy-bodied old lady! However, I would like her to know that in our eyes she is a true sister to every Girl Scout and her dedication and significant contributions to Badgerland girls are deeply valued and appreciated.”

Badgerland is lucky to have amazing volunteers like the women above. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Visit here.