Libby Bogart is a dynamic Troop Leader who leads 13 Girl Scouts who range from Daisy all the way up to Senior level. She is also a Training Facilitator.
From being a Girl Scout as a child, then leading her daughter’s troop, to now leading her granddaughter’s troop, she has a wealth of Girl Scout experience. Libby feels that “Girl Scouts has grown at the same rate I have but the principles have remained the same.”
We caught up with Libby and asked her a few questions.
How did you become a Troop Leader again?
My granddaughter wanted to be a Daisy. The parents of five little girls from her school called me, asking me to be a leader. We started out as a Brownie troop in May of that year and met throughout the summer. That was two years ago.
How would you describe your troop?
They are bubbly, they love each other, and they are quick to help each other.
What would you say to someone who would like to volunteer for Girl
Scouts but they don’t know where they fit in?
I would ask them, “What do you like to do?” Instead of assigning a job, I would ask, “Where do your interests lie?”
How much does faith inform what you do with your troop?
For me personally, if we weren’t all Catholic, I wouldn’t have felt it necessary to inform the parents that GSUSA is an inclusive organization. I felt the parents had the right to know that their girls could (and now are) potentially be sisters with girls who have a different religion or none at all. I was also up front with the parents about the GSUSA stance and inclusivity of the LGBTQ community. I didn’t want them to discover this after they joined. And while this hasn’t affected our troop so far, during Pride Month 2024, I plan on offering the awareness patch for the girls who want to earn it.
We are, and should, earn the My Faith, My Promise pin.
The main thing that we do that’s probably different from other troops, is that we have an opening prayer and a closing prayer. We also talk about the way Girl Scout values align with our Christian values and Catholic teaching.
What are your hopes for your girls?
I hope they stay through Ambassador level. I hope they apply the Promise and the Law for the rest of their life.