Volunteer Spotlight – September 2024
September 24, 2024
Congratulations to Kay Flavin who has been awarded GSNI’s Volunteer Spotlight for September 2024!
Kay was nominated for this award by GSNI’s Chief Revenue Officer Becky Staat, Director of Revenue Nicole Murphy, and Membership Engagement Specialist Kim French. After working for Girl Scouts—both in our Sybaquay legacy council and GSNI—for 35 years, Kay retired. We were grateful for her years of service and then to hear she wanted to remain involved after retiring! She has continued with GSNI since then in various volunteer roles.
In the past, Kay helped to coordinate GSNI’s Annual Meeting. She also became a dependable back-up to cover staff shortages in our retail stores. Currently, she volunteers to assist with Build-A-Bear parties.
Kay’s volunteering to cover the stores when staff members were unavailable was tremendous! With her extensive Girl Scout knowledge, she was the perfect fit to interact with and support our customers, some of whom knew her and were happy to see and talk with her again. In 2023, when GSNI purchased a new point of sale system, Kay was on board to learn the new technology and continued to volunteer in our stores. We are extremely thankful to have Kay volunteering with our retail team!
Since the inception of GSNI’s LGBTQ+ Task Force three years ago, Kay has brought years of experience and provided a leading voice for change to this group. Over the course of many discussions, Kay has shared different perspectives and what she has found researching various LGBTQ+ organizations and helpful websites. Over the 2023 winter break, Kay volunteered to create a draft version of our long-awaited resource document, guiding members in all things LGBTQ+ as it relates to GSNI. This was a huge help to our team and gave us the outline and starting point we needed to edit and finalize this resource. Kay is an asset to GSNI’s Belonging Team and our LGBTQ+ Task Force. She also recently became a member of GSNI’s Board of Directors. We are grateful for Kay’s involvement, her motivation towards progress, and her continued commitment to make a difference!
Kay shared that she was involved as a Brownie and Junior level Girl Scout as a child (the Daisy Girl Scout level did not exist at that time). She later worked as Assistant Camp Director at Sybaquay Council’s Camp Pokonokah Hills and from there became a full-time staff member. Kay has been honored as a GSUSA Thanks Badge recipient.
When asked about her favorite Girl Scout memories, Kay replied, “It would be from camping, both at day camp and as a resident camper at Camp Far Horizons and Camp Pokonokah Hills (Camp Pokie), and then as a resident camp staff member at Pokie. It was as a camp staffer that I realized the benefits of participating in Girl Scouts. It wasn’t just fun, but it provided great learning experiences that last throughout life. I loved seeing the girls learn new skills!”
“Girl Scouts has played a major role in my life, and I want to ensure it remains a viable opportunity for today’s girls and for girls in the future.” In reference to how volunteering has brought meaning to her, Kay added, “I knew when I retired as a staff member that I wanted to stay involved. It’s important to me that we keep Girl Scouting growing, so that girls can participate in the fun it has to offer and grow participation in our many activities.”
Though Kay doesn’t often find herself working directly with Girl Scouts in her volunteer roles, regarding our program’s Three Processes (girl-led, learn by doing, cooperative learning), she commented, “I really believe that these processes are what makes Girl Scouting so special. It’s great when I do get the opportunity to watch girls in action and see things ‘click’ for them.”
Kay has years of experience leading in Girl Scouts and now volunteering. When asked what advice she might share with other Girl Scout volunteers or with parents, she responded, “While it’s great to have plans, the biggest learning opportunities often happen when those plans don’t go right. Relax and enjoy the process. Let the girls make decisions and go with them, even when it means they may be learning from their mistakes. You are there to guide and keep them safe. And while it may be difficult, let the girls take the lead. And remember, the older the girl member, the more fun and excitement they can have!”
It is with much appreciation we recognize Kay Flavin as this month’s Volunteer Spotlight recipient! She truly deserves this award and more for her continued commitment to Girl Scouting and to our council. Thank you, Kay!
GSNI wishes to thank Patty Donahue and Image Awards Engraving and Creative Keepsakes in Geneva, Illinois, for providing the beautiful tile trivet awards for our Volunteer Spotlight Program.
