Amee Briney, left, and Janet Catalan, right, both of Shelby Township, received Volunteer of Excellence awards from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan.
By: Kara Szymanski | Shelby-Utica News | Published July 15, 2024
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan announced June 21 that it recognized many inspiring volunteers, including two from Shelby Township, at a special banquet event during National Volunteer Month.
Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan leadership officers distributed dozens of appreciation awards to people and businesses who supported the Girl Scouts’ mission of helping “develop girls of courage, confidence, and character.”
This year, 41 people received a Volunteer of Excellence award, which go to volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding service while working with Scouts. The Girl Scouts stated that most honorees are troop leaders who have also held multiple other troop positions over the years, including treasurer, event coordinator, mentors and more.
An Appreciation Pin went to 14 women who went beyond expectations for their positions and who impacted a geographic area within the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan. The Honor Pin, for volunteers who helped the Girl Scouts reach and exceed their mission-delivery goals, was given to 11 volunteers.
Two volunteers were presented a Thanks Badge for outstanding service that “is so significantly above and beyond the call of duty that no other award would be appropriate.”
Amee Briney and Janet Catalan, both of Shelby Township, each received a Volunteer of Excellence award.
Briney said she is a lifetime Girl Scouts member and has been a Girl Scout since she was 6 years old in 1980.
“I went all the way through 12 years of Girl Scouting as a girl and became an adult member in 1993. I earned my Gold Award (the highest award in Girl Scouting) in 1992. At 19 years old, I had my own Brownie troop, and served as a leader with no kids of my own. Over the past 31 years, I have served as a volunteer teaching first aid/CPR … for volunteers, a babysitting instructor for girls, high and low ropes instructor for girls, master trainer for outdoor education for volunteers, and a member of the high awards committee — mentoring older girls and approving Gold Award project awards. I also unofficially help new troop leaders with resources, teaching traditions, and ensuring the Girl Scout spirit is held to,” she said.
She said Girl Scouting was very impactful to her as a girl.
“Girl Scouting exposed me to different cultures, a support system of sisterhood and mentors that have lasted a lifetime. I learned leadership, gained confidence, life skills, and the importance of living the Girl Scout law and promise in my everyday life. I strive every day, with every decision, to live the Girl Scout promise and law,” she said.
Briney today is the leader of a Brownie troop in which her daughter is a member.
“The girls and mom volunteers in the troop inspire me to be a better and more creative mentor. Each girl has their own strengths and own personalities, which we celebrate and strive to learn from each other. The troop is girl led, which means they decide what field trips, what badges to earn, etc. Over the past year, I have witnessed seven young ladies grow from the inside out, which is what the meaning is of their troop crest that they voted on — the nautilus shell.”
She said that in the past year, the girls in her troop learned about engineering, designed and constructed a bridge with the intention of using it for the next 11 years and sharing it with other troops, and learned about how to design and plant a community garden from scratch. They learned about nature and how to be a good friend; how to respect animals and insects; what to do in an emergency; how to build a campfire; how to cook over a campfire; how to build each other up if a sister is struggling; how to ask for help; how to stand up for themselves and each other; how to market, sell, upsell and process inventory; how to do math for sales; how to give excellent customer service; and they sold over 3,000 boxes of cookies their first year.
As a current mentor and committee member for the high awards, she said she loves working with other adult members, helping girls achieve the highest award in Girl Scouting. As a mentor, she helps young ladies brainstorm and problem-solve to ensure that their projects are serving needs in the community, are driven by the girls’ passion, and are sustainable over time.
“These projects illuminate the girls’ leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills through a minimum of an 80-hour project commitment. I love watching the girls at this older girl level design, create, implement and witness their sense of success,” she said.
She said she is a professionally licensed professional counselor, specializing in mental health and substance abuse.
“I am a firm believer that involvement in the Girl Scouts as a girl assists in mental health overall. It improves communication skills, a sense of community and acceptance for individuality. Girl Scouting is my family. The values define me as a person. I am proud to be a Girl Scout for the past 44 years,” she said.
Like Briney, Catalan shares the values of the Girl Scouts and found that the organization helped her to grow as a person.
“It has been a pleasure to meet so many extraordinary women that share their time and knowledge to help the future generation of women to discover their potential and find their passions. It is a blessing to see the girls exploring new places, trying new things and making friends,” Catalan said.
“I discovered that my biggest passion is to help girls develop and be prepared, as our Scout motto states, for the future so that it is very bright and that ripple effect of kindness continues for generations,” Catalan said.
Monica Woodson, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, issued a prepared statement about the honorees.
“Whatever each of you have given to our Girl Scouts, it is truly our privilege to honor so many of you who believe in the power of the Girl Scouts Movement and continue to make a huge impact in with our girls and in our community,” Woodson said.