Girl Scouts name Devino Volunteer of the Month
Allison Devino
BRANDON – Honoring a friend’s wish to get a Girl Scout troop going in her community, Allison Devino stepped up and now has 16 girls in a brand new Brownie troop. She has been named the Volunteer of the Month for November by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains for her willingness to volunteer.
Devino, married and mother to a young daughter and son, said she was looking forward to getting a Girl Scout troop going for her daughter, along with her friend, Karen Rouse. Rouse, unfortunately, had been sick, and died just as they were getting the troop going.
“Karen, who was starting this troop, had asked me over the summer to be a co-leader,” she said. “I said, sure, I’ll be co-leader. Then she passed away, and at first I was like, do I want to do it? Then I figured I’d just do it. I’m learning as I go!”
“Allison jumped right in to the get the troop going,” said Amanda Powell, volunteer support specialist for the Girl Scout council. “She has been fantastic – very engaged and curious and excited to figure out the journey.”
There was clearly a desire for a Girl Scout troop in the area – Devino has 16 girls in her Brownie troop, which is for girls in second and third grades. They have met twice so far at the Brandon Congregational Church, and the girls have expressed interest in science, cooking, hiking, crafts, and camping. Devino said they started out making slime, and also participated in the Fall Product Program, earning about $200 to put toward their first year of activities.
“We’re still trying to figure things out, get a routine,” she said, but they’re off to a good start. She said she gets a lot of help from her co-leader, Natasha Lizotte, who has brainstormed a lot of ideas.
“I wanted to do it for my daughter,” said Devino, who’s looking forward to being part of the Girl Scout experience herself.
