Three little words

Dream.  Believe. Achieve.  Three little words. Three little words chosen by seven girls to inspire others. Three little words that capture what this trip is all about. Three little words that have become the mantra of Troop 1292. 

DREAM

John Lennon once wrote "You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one." And he was right! This project is the direct result of seven girls who opted to dream big! I believe the conversation at our first meeting went something like this...

Me:       So, this is it gang. Our last year together. What do you all think we should do?

Girl 1:   I think we should do something really big.

Me:      What does that mean?

Girl 2:   Oh, you know. Go somewhere or do something.

Girl 3:   Yeah, do something where we could actually make a difference.

Me:       You mean like a mission trip or big service project?

Girls heads start nodding yes

Girl 1:    But it needs to be something really cool.

Girl 2:    Yeah, someplace far away would be fun.

Me:       Well, ya know....(at this point Im seriously wondering if I should say what I'm about to say) Mrs Pratt did a mission trip to Jamaica a few years ago and when she came back she said she would love to see the troop do a trip like it one day.

Girls:     Oh that would be SO COOL!

Girl 1:    Really? We could do something like that?

Mrs P:    Ummmm...(at this point I'm saying to myself "What were you thinking?!!!")well.....(just look at those faces Vicky. This is the future of our world you are looking at. What message do you want to send them? Are you really going to shatter their dream and tell them no?) Honestly, I'm not sure if we can or not. Are you really interested in doing something like that? 

Girls:     Yes!

And just like that a dream becomes a reality!

BELIEVE

In the weeks that followed the girls' dream took shape. There were serious conversations about what a project like this would entail and through it all they believed they could do it. We talked about fundraising, projects, expectations, true feelings and concerns, and even the weather and humidity. The girls were asked repeatedly if they were willing to do what it was going to take to make this happen. Again, they believed they could do it. Admittedly there were concerns and fears, my own included, but we put them all on the table and discussed them openly and honestly. At an October meeting we had a final vote and it was decided we were all "in". They believed in the project, they believed in each other, they believed in themselves. Me? Well, that was a different story.

At the end of that October meeting I found myself overwhelmed. We had just voted to embark on a project that was WAY outside my skill set. I was particularly concerned about how we were going to fund the project. $15,000 meant selling A LOT of cookies!!!  When I voiced my concerns to friends and colleagues who have done something like this I was often told "You just gotta believe." That my friends, was NOT an easy task for this control freak/planner to do! But, it was time to do as the Girl Scout Law says and "use resources wisely". We brought in professional fundraisers and philanthropists to help with the planning and budgeting, we tapped into our friends and family, and we tapped into our own skills to create our own movie and get the word out.

The moment of truth came in January when we had to buy our plane tickets. Jenny had worked for 3 days to get an incredible ticket price but we had to buy them within 48 hours or lose the rate. We had raised enough money to get to Jamaica but that was it.  There was not yet enough money to have a place to sleep or food to eat. The Girl Scout motto is "Be Prepared". Buying tickets without money for a place to stay or eat was NOT being prepared. Luckily the Girl Scout Law also says "I will do my best to be courageous and strong." Buying those ten airline tickets was exactly that for me! Amazingly, within 48 hours of buying the tickets, more than $2000 in donations arrived in the mail which meant we were half way to our goal with more than 60 days left to reach our goal.

Jenny put it best- "sometimes you have to leap and trust that the net will appear." For the record- that was one scary first step!"

ACHIEVE
The girls' belief in their dream has helped them achieve their fundraising goal. Seven days from now, we will be in Jamaica preparing to meet the students we hope to inspire with our actions, artwork, and words while working toward achieving our ultimate goal of making a positive difference in the world.

They say actions speak louder than words. But don't underestimate the power of words. You never know how far three little words might get you. After all, ours are taking us to Jamaica!