Meet the Champions
Spotlight on Our Own: Pam Hyland

CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Congaree Area in South Carolina

Pam Hyland is excited about the proposed Girl Scout Mission. “The concept of building girls of courage, confidence, and character is wonderful, and what makes it truly special is the idea of returning those gifts to the community – making the world a better place.”

When it comes to service, the Congaree Area Girl Scouts are setting the bar. For each of the last three years, the council has united to focus on a single community issue selected by girls. Past issues have included domestic violence, childhood obesity, and school bullying. The issue for 2005/2006 is child abuse. “By focusing together and becoming educated on a single issue, the girls feel the value of their service work more deeply,” Pam explains.

As a member of the Volunteerism Gap Team, Pam brings meaningful insight and knowledge from her council's volunteer initiatives. According to Pam, one of the most critical aspects of the Core Business Strategy is a strong volunteer development system that fully taps into the resources of each community. “By identifying the unique capabilities of each volunteer, we can place them in positions that maximize their gifts.”

The Girl Scout Council of the Congaree Area is one of 10 pilot programs involved in this year's volunteer development project, which will test three new models for providing support to the volunteers. “It's important that we develop alternatives to the Service Team Model that will draw upon a pool of community resources beyond those of our current members, allowing girls and volunteers to get the best experience possible out of Girl Scouting.”

As the Core Business Strategy moves forward, Pam knows it can be tempting for organizations such as the Girl Scouts to rest on their laurels. “It's in times like this that great organizations look critically at what they can do better to succeed in a changing world and make the changes necessary to bridge ‘gaps' and reach their goal,” she says.

“I believe that we all have a unique and exciting opportunity to be a part of something that will make a difference for the future of Girl Scouts.”

THANK YOU PAM FOR BEING A LEADER AND INSPIRATION TO THE REST OF US!

For more information on Pam Hyland and the Girl Scout Council of the Congaree Area, visit www.congaree.org.

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