1,630 miles. That’s how many miles I’ve put on my Jeep since arriving in Ohio in January. That’s a lot of miles! But I wouldn’t take any of those miles back; these last few months have been a fantastic introduction to this council.   

I’ve had the opportunity to travel up, down, and across western Ohio and southeastern Indiana meeting all of you. I’ve waved as you loaded your cars with boxes of Thin Mints® that will fuel girls’ adventures. I’ve met you at service team meetings where I heard about the rewarding but sometimes challenging work that happens in our local communities. Some of you I met at our Gold Award Ceremony, where I was inspired by 37 amazing young women as they earned one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting.    

Whether I met you at camp, bumped into you while you dashed into our council shops, or waved at you virtually, I’m so grateful for every mile and every minute spent meeting each of you.  

In between trips, I wanted to pause and reflect on what I’ve seen and heard while on the road.   While meeting you, I’ve learned that: 

• Our Girl Scouts of Western Ohio volunteers have tremendous Girl Scout pride and passion for our shared mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.  
• This is a council rich in history, and we never want to lose sight of that as we move forward together. Who knew (I didn’t!) that the first Girl Scout council charter in the nation was granted in Toledo in 1917, and the second in Cincinnati?  
• This is a council that cares so much about our joint mission of empowering girls that volunteers, caregivers, and girls all have the courage to offer ideas to strengthen our efforts and are willing to get involved to create an even more impactful Girl Scout future! 

Over the next few months, I will work with council staff to take what I’ve heard and learned through your feedback, surveys, listening sessions, and more, and incorporate your thoughts into the planning for 2023-2024 membership year. We’ll also use your feedback to develop our strategic plan, shaping Girl Scouts for our region through 2025 and beyond.  

I am grateful every day for the opportunity to continue learning and serving our girls alongside our volunteers. I look forward to meeting even more of you and hearing about your Girl Scout adventures at the upcoming Silver and Bronze Award ceremonies, volunteer appreciation events, Family Day at Camp, and so much more. 

Thank you to each and every volunteer, caregiver, and supporter, for giving your time, talent, and resources to making this world a better place for girls—and empowering them to dream their biggest dreams.  

I’ll see you on the road! 

Yours in Girl Scouting,
Aimée R. Sproles

PS – Did you know that Aimée could have driven from Savannah, GA, the home of our founder Juliette Gordon Low, and back to Toledo in 1,630 miles?