Wayne Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 20

Reaching Out

Moving at the Speed of Girls

Betty Garger discussesthe mission and movement of Girl Scouts of Northern NewJersey
STRONG FOUNDATION Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey CEO Betty Garger welcomes the girls of the organization ’ s Summer 2016 Celebrate Being Me Kindergarten Readiness Program in Paterson .
“ On my honor , I will try : To serve God and my country , To help people at all times , And tolive by the Girl Scout Law .”

What began more than 100 years ago , thanks to founder Juliette Gordon “ Daisy ” Low , has evolved into a national movement of instilling courage , confidence and character in girls to help make the world abetter place . Approximately 1.9 million girls and 800,000 adults participate inthe Girl Scouts today .

Closer tohome , the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey ( GSNNJ ) in Riverdale serves more than 28,000 girls from age 5to 18 in 160 communities inBergen , Morris , Passaic , Sussex and northern Warren counties .
Sparta resident Betty Garger , 55 , is the CEO ofthe GSNNJ and has worked for the Girl Scouts for 29 years , holding positions as assistant executive director , communications director , fund development director , product sales director and membership manager .
“ Growing up , Iwas aGirl Scout for six years . My most memorable experiences include making holiday ornaments for an organization that helped children infoster care and collecting toys for the children ,” she says . “ Planning an all-day bike ride
when we were in fifth grade – this was a girl-led and planned event and I still remember mapping out our course and deciding where we would stop for a picnic lunch , and participating in Veterans Day ceremonies .”
As for a career in scouting , Garger says she was looking for a position that utilized her talents to help others .
“ I had very good memories of my time as aGirl Scout growing up and I believe in the mission of providing leadership experiences to girls ,” she says .“ Women are more than 50 percent of the population but do not hold 50 percent of leadership positions incorporations , elected positions , professional fields – especially inscience , technology , engineering and math . Girls need to be aware of opportunities in this world to help make it a better place .”
Girl Scouts is almost 105 years old , although Garger quips that she hasn ’ t “ been a member quite that long .”
“ The organization is always changing and evolving , we are moving at the ‘ speed of girls ,’” she says . “ We keep our program relevant but true to our core values of empowering girls and providing opportunities to take risks in a safe space .”
More than 74 percent of today ’ s Girl Scout volunteers work full- or part-time out of the home .
“ In the last month , we migrated to a new membership software system that provides resources and training at the tip ofthe fingertips on asmart
“ TRULY , OURS IS A CIRCLE OF FRIENDSHIPS , UNITED BY OUR IDEALS .”
JULIETTE GORDON LOW
phone , tablet , or computer and is accessible 24 hours a day ,” she says .
Garger says the organization is as relevant today as it was when itwas founded in 1912 .
“ Girls today thrive in a girls-only environment where the program is girl-led ,” she says . “ They learn by doing , and they learn cooperatively .”
Research shows that girls who participate in Girl Scouts do better in school , and , as adults , have higher earnings , are more likely to vote and achieve more education than non-Girl Scouts .
“ Girl Scouts provides experiences in life skills , entrepreneurship and outdoors ,” Garger says . “ Girls have a chance to try different activities and find and develop their interests .”
As for the future , Garger says ,“ At GSNNJ , we want the world to know the value our girls bring to the community . Through Take Action projects , girls are building a better world . Isee more adults making the time to volunteer for Girl Scouts because they know their time is well spent – and that their time is respected and directed to working with girls .”
For more information about joining the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey , visit gsnnj . org or facebook . com / GSNNJ . ■
– DEIRDRE FLANAGAN WARD
COURTESY OFBETTY GARGER
18 SPRING 2017 WAYNE MAGAZINE