Listening, Leading, and Taking Action: A Girl Scout’s Take on Initiative
By Dr. Andrea Stark Bishop
At only 13 years old, Elise Hamilton knows what initiative means. A Girl Scout Cadette in troop 56003 in Chantilly, Virginia, Elise is already in her ninth year of scouting. Over those years, she has learned that leadership means taking initiative, building group consensus, and leading with compassion.
Elise’s dad, Rob, is a government contractor, and her mom, Kathryn, is a marketing communications professional and troop leader. Kathryn was also a Girl Scout and earned the Gold Award, the highest honor in the organization. She was thrilled when Elise showed interest in scouting. Elise began as a Daisy, then advanced to Brownie, Junior, and now Cadette. At this stage, Elise works with her troop on “take-action” projects that support community needs and allow scouts to complete Journeys, which lead to higher awards.
Kathryn emphasized that Girl Scouts is built on girl-led learning and service. When girls in Elise’s troop reached the Junior level, they began to lead meetings, select badges, organize projects, and plan events. While Kathryn took a more hands-on role when Elise was younger, she says stepping back has been rewarding: “The girl-led structure is so important. It allows the girls to learn so much more by doing, and it gives them ownership over what they do.” Watching them brainstorm realistic solutions has been especially gratifying. “They take advantage of the resources they know about instead of the things we adults know about. It means they’re taking initiative in ways that make sense to them.”
One example is Elise’s Bronze Award project. Her troop partnered with the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, asking staff what was most needed. Some requests, like building dog kennels, weren’t feasible, but the girls identified other areas where they could help. They made fleece blankets for animals and created a donation drive at their school. Elise and another scout promoted the effort on the school news program, encouraging classmates to give toys and pet food. A collection box in the library soon filled, and all gifts were delivered to the shelter.
Elise also took initiative by leading a cybersecurity badge activity. She and a friend created a scavenger hunt to show how hackers collect bits of information and taught their troop strategies for protecting passwords. Leading the activity was intimidating at first, but Elise gained confidence through the experience.
Scouting has taught her that leadership requires listening and inclusivity. “We need to get every person’s opinion before making final decisions,” Elise explained. “You don’t want to plan something and then hear, ‘That’s not what I wanted.’ It makes me more compassionate. I need to ask and listen before deciding.” Elise also offered her own definition of initiative: paying attention, taking action, and focusing on what is realistically achievable. “Sometimes you hear about something that needs to be done, and you want to jump in, but you need to evaluate your options and decide what you can actually do.”
Kathryn says watching Elise and her troop exercise planning and leadership skills has been deeply rewarding, stating, “Seeing them plan, execute, and follow through is inspiring.” Elise Hamilton and Troop 56003 are proof that with initiative, compassion, and teamwork, even young leaders can make their communities better.