In light of her recent appointment to the Board, we caught up with Professor Fitzsimmons to find out more about her current role and to ask about her experiences working with the Girl Scouts of the USA.
For how long have you been involved in the Girl Scouts of the USA?
As an adult, since 2000.
I was a Girl Scout for six years as a girl then was a leader during my gap year after high school (in fact I was the youngest Girl Scout leader in America at the time!) When my daughter Eileen (AUR’16) turned 5 in 2000, I signed her up for Girl Scouts here in Rome (we drove to AOSR for 8 years for weekly meetings!) and (surprise, surprise!) I was soon serving as a leader. I was a leader until 2008. In the following years, I served in a variety of positions on the Rome Overseas Management team – Events Coordinator, Trainer, and then Chair from 2008-11. Then I got involved with the global organization.
What, in your opinion, are the main advantages and benefits gained from membership?
Our motto says it all: Girl Scouts creates girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. That is such a motivating statement for me and reflects the outcomes I try to achieve in other aspects of my personal and professional life as well. The organization provides a safe space for girls to build leadership skills, take risks, and become innovators while having fun and finding friends.
What are the things learned/skills gained in the Girl Scouts that prepare members for the world of higher education and the world of work?
Undoubtedly the ability to be an independent thinker, to be open to taking risks, to plan and manage projects, to set and achieve ambitious goals, to be a good team member are all skills girls acquire in their Girl Scouts years. There is a big emphasis on building entrepreneurial skills and learning to plan and execute projects.
Tell us about your new position on the National Council (and congratulations!) What does this role entail?
The National Council is like the parliament of the Girl Scout movement. It is the group that advises the National Board of Directors on strategic issues. Representatives from the 112 councils and USAGSO are elected to three-year terms, and come together at the triennial National Council Session, taking place this month. We were supposed to be meeting in Orlando, Florida this year (as a Disneyphile I was certainly looking forward to getting my Disneyworld fix!!), but COVID had other plans. We are meeting virtually, all 1500 of us, in a series of virtual sessions that kicked off last weekend with the Keynotes from the President and the Chair of the Board. They have done an amazing job of creating excitement and delivering an engaging experience despite the online delivery. It will be a very interesting experience, and many other organizations are watching how this giant virtual event unfolds because there will inevitably be many more of its kind.
Disney Day in Marketing class
How have the activities of the Girl Scouts been adapted in light of the pandemic? To what extent have they been able to continue?
Girl Scouts (like AUR!!) was incredibly quick to pivot, creating materials to help leaders and girls keep connected virtually. We had been in the midst of the traditional annual cookie sale when the lockdowns began in the US, and in nine days, an online platform, “Cookie Care,” was created to keep this vital fundraising activity going. Troops continued to meet, focusing on fun activities and providing a much-needed break from the online schooling most girls were getting. And a virtual platform was created. Virtual sessions focused on badge-related activities for all girls and families using materials in their home, downloadable digital program content including videos, activity resources, and expert guidance for families and volunteers on leading girls through this difficult time. In addition, virtual service projects helped girls flex their service muscle with a national service project.
You are also on the board of the USA Girl Scouts Overseas. Did this come about through your being based in Italy?
Yes. In fact, it was after I organized a Global Leadership Conference for Girl Scout volunteers from across Europe, hosted by AUR in 2013, that the CEO of USAGSO asked me to take on other responsibilities. AUR definitely made a “bella figura” as host, and has always been generous in supporting my involvement in the Movement over the years. First, I was asked to be part of a Task Force charged with redesigning the governance structure for the Overseas organization. Subsequently, I was appointed to the board that the Task Force created, the “Council of Advisors”. This is the group, made up of high-level volunteers from around the world, that advises the CEO of the Overseas organization, helps with fundraising and deals with strategic issues affecting the Girl Scout operations in 90+ countries. I was re-appointed to a second term in 2019, and most recently have served as Vice-Chair.
Have you had much of an insight into how are the organizations in the USA and Italy similar, and how are they different?
While the program is the same, the focus, and perhaps the reasons for joining are a little different. Overseas, Girl Scouts focuses on the daughters of military, foreign service, and American ex-pat families and to all girls in American or International schools. For many, it is a touchstone as they move around the world for work or diplomacy, and a lifeline to “things American,” offering and reinforcing American traditions. For my daughter and me, back when we joined, if was a piece of American culture here in Rome, reinforcing the archetypal American values of volunteerism, giving back to the community, teamwork, and diversity.
Could you pick the ultimate highlight from all of your experiences with the organization?
- The highlight of my years working directly with girls was probably the success of the AUR Chapter of Campus Girl Scouts, which a bunch of AUR #smartchicks started and ran from 2008 to 2011. It was the only CGS Chapter outside the US. They organized community events, soccer clinics, and skill-building activities for the Girl Scouts in Rome, and served as uber-cool role models. It was fabulous to see.
- The greatest personal satisfaction I’ve had was receiving the “Thanks Badge,” which is the highest honor a volunteer can receive in the Movement. It was awarded by the national organization after the outcomes of the Global Leadership Conference held at AUR.
Congratulations to Professor Fitzsimmons for her ongoing successes in leadership roles with the Girl Scouts!