Scouts stepping up efforts to develop female leaders

MODEL CITIZENS: Neil M. Stamps, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Inc., said the organization needs to get the word out that it is “more than just camp and cookies.” / COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS  OF RHODE ISLAND
MODEL CITIZENS: Neil M. Stamps, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Inc., said the organization needs to get the word out that it is “more than just camp and cookies.” / COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS OF RHODE ISLAND

Neil M. Stamps, the new CEO of the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Inc., has taken the job at a time of declining enrollment nationally, with girls not identifying with the leadership role historically associated with the organization.
The Rhode Island affiliate and about 2,600 volunteers serve thousands of girls not only locally but in Pawcatuck, Conn., and 13 Massachusetts towns: Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Fall River, Millville, North Attleboro, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Westport and Wrentham. The Girl Scouts’ response to shrinking enrollment is to expand instead of contract.
Stamps explains that strategy and his role in it.

PBN: The Girl Scouts are planning to expand. Tell us about the new location in Warwick.
STAMPS: We moved here in the old ski-market building at 500 Greenwich Ave. in June of last year. The main reason for the move was because the old facility in Providence did not have space for programming for girls, it was strictly administrative.
For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has been the organization that develops the future talent of our country. We feel America’s most-accomplished women are Girl Scout alumni. Lately, however the tide has been turning and more and more girls are opting out of pursuing leadership roles. Only one in five thinks she has what it takes to be a leader and that’s a trend that should alarm everybody.
According to a study published by Girl Scout Research Institute, only about one-third (39 percent) say they want to be a leader and only one girl in five believes she has what it takes to lead. So with our recent move, we have an opportunity to do something really big to turn things around.

PBN: What will you do?
STAMPS: We’ve dedicated the entire lower level of our building, which is 10,000 square feet, to create a Girl Leadership Experience Center. After a year of intense work leading women and girls and adult volunteers, we have created the leadership programming that the center will deliver: six centers of excellence, [including] life skills; science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM); making a difference; travel and adventure; global citizenship and camping and outdoor skills.
PBN: Exactly how many members do you have now?
STAMPS: We have 8,700 members in Rhode Island, 13 communities in Massachusetts and in Pawcatuck in Connecticut. Membership has been declining the last few years and that’s one of the driving forces of establishing the six centers of excellence. We feel it’s critical to our success in getting membership back on track.

PBN: How will these programs draw out leadership skills?
STAMPS: The program delivery will rely on state-of-the-art video conferencing and Smartboard technology, allowing us to reach girls in urban communities where we already have a strong Girl Scout presence and retain those girls for whom technology is second nature. It will allow us to create dynamic programming by allowing us to bring in women and girls from all over the country and the world.

PBN: What is your timetable for making this happen?
STAMPS: We have a capital campaign that we’ve launched. It has just begun and we’d like to raise $3.5 million but we’re really focused on raising $550,000 by the end of September in order to get this programming and technology in place. We have the building; we own it.

PBN: How exactly do you think added programming will help?
STAMPS: We have two programs we’re offering in September. One of them has women at the top of their careers sharing advice and lessons learned from their own leadership journeys with girls at the center. Via the technology, it will be shared at several of our partner schools at places [including] Woonsocket and East Providence, as well as our camp locations.

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PBN: Why is this modeling so important?
STAMPS: It’s applicable for older girls, to retain them and teach them life lessons that are valuable in their day-to-day lives.

PBN: What makes a leader?
STAMPS: If we do retain these girls and they become Gold Award winners, which is our top award, equivalent to Eagle Scout (for Boy Scouts), it opens up so many more opportunities for college scholarships and opportunities to get into college.

PBN: Obviously, you feel the mission of Girl Scouts is still relevant today. Besides the new programming, how will you convey that to prospective members?
STAMPS: We really need to get the word out that Girl Scouts is so much more than just camp and cookies. Before my daughter was a member, that’s how I perceived it as well. But there are so many other ways to participate other than just [in] troops. One of our new strategies is an approach called pathways – flexible ways to participate in Girl Scouts. We offer troops, events, series, camp and travel opportunities for girls to experience the Girl Scout leadership program. •

INTERVIEW
NEIL M. STAMPS
POSITION: CEO of Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Inc.
BACKGROUND: Neil M. Stamps became CEO of the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Inc. in April, after a seven-month stint as interim CEO. He has 30 years of experience in the jewelry industry, most recently at LDC Inc., a full-service manufacturer in Providence, where he was chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of science degree in accounting from Providence College, 1981; master of arts in management from Bryant University (then Bryant College), 1985
FIRST JOB: Accountant at Leach & Garner Co. in Attleboro
RESIDENCE: South Kingstown
AGE: 54

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