Just For Volunteers

Recruiting in Asian Communities

By Susan Kantor

According to research published in 2004 by the U.S. Census Bureau, 12 million Asians live in the United States. Chinese represent the largest Asian ethnic group, followed by Vietnamese, Indians, and Koreans. Thanks to inclusive recruitment policies, increasing numbers of girls from these communities are finding a place in Girl Scouts.

Paayal Mahajan, manager of multicultural initiatives at GSUSA, works with Girl Scout councils on strategies to increase membership among underrepresented girls and adults. “Delivering a high-quality program and having a membership that reflects the demographics of America is one of our most important goals,” she said.

One tool for helping to establish these connections is the Asian Market Advisory Board. Made up of volunteers, council staff, and non-Girl Scout members, the 24-member board meets via conference calls to share resources, plan membership strategies and discuss challenges.

Councils Share Their Strategies

That volunteering generally is not a familiar concept to Asians is one of those challenges, says Thy Vu, Asian specialist for Girl Scouts of Hornet’s Nest Council (N.C.). Undeterred, Thy focused on younger volunteers, recruiting from Asian student groups at local colleges, who often need service hours to meet graduation requirements. They usually become enthusiastic Girl Scout supporters. She also made contact with the local director of Families with Children from China, and received permission to contact the membership about forming an Asian Girl Scout troop. (For information on this network of parent support groups go to www.fwcc.org/contacts.)

For MinhAn Nguyen, a community organizer for Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County (Calif.), being able to speak Vietnamese was vital for developing an effective working relationship with the Vietnamese Committee on Scouting, an influential community group that provides volunteers and collaborates with the council on local events. The council now has 184 ­Vietnamese girls in nine multi-age level troops.

Girl Scout Council of Orange County (Calif.) has been cultivating the Vietnamese community since 1994, and credits its steady increase in membership to “terrific troop leaders” who actively recruit their friends. Troop meetings, held in a public park in the heart of Little Saigon, attract parents driving by who frequently stop to observe the activities or ask for information. “The Asian community is also looking to see how Girl Scouts is different from other cultural organizations that their girls can join,” said Hien Pham, membership specialist for Orange County. She finds that parents are especially interested in the all-girl program and in their daughters earning the Silver and Gold Awards.

Before Girl Scouts of Delaware Raritan (Maryland) began planning an event to celebrate Chinese New Year, organizers approached the local Chinese language school for pointers on how to best reach the students’ parents. “The Chinese New Year celebration is now not only an annual event, but is staffed almost exclusively by Chinese volunteers,” said Diane Borusovic, the council’s community resource director.

Emilia Crotty, a program specialist at Girl Scout Council of Greater New York, is open to a variety of approaches, but still finds that working through parent associations at local schools is most effective—regardless of the ethnicity. “I always call the president of the parent association at the school and ask to be put on the agenda,” she says. Emilia gives a five minute presentation, and brings an Asian troop leader with her to answer parents’ questions.

More Alike Than Different

Whatever questions parents may have, or whatever their ethnic group, they all value education, community, family, and tradition. And their daughters are amazingly similar. Recent research, involving more than 1,500 girls, ages 8 to 17, both in and outside of Girl Scouting, and representing all geographic regions of the country, revealed a common goal, which they described as “being my best self.”

Helping girls achieve that goal is one of the things Girl Scout volunteers do to fulfill the mission of the organization.

Adapted from LEADER, Summer 2006. © Girl Scouts of the United States of America.