As summer comes to an end, a new school year begins, including opportunities for local girls and adults to become a Girl Scout.

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont has opportunities for volunteers who are committed to helping girls develop courage, confidence and character.Without the adult leaders, there is no Girl Scouting.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of Girl Scouting – and Kimberly Wells of Mocksville is one volunteer who has served as a troop leader for Troop 02146 for three years.

“Girl Scouting teaches girls life skills and builds confidence to one day be leaders,” Wells said. “I love seeing the girls work as a team to accomplish what they need and want to do.”

The first year her daughter became a Girl Scout Brownie in second grade, Wells observed two older Girl Scouts lead meetings. The second year, she decided to become the leader, and last year she worked in partnership with Kirsten Link and Jennifer Simmons, both of Mocksville, to lead the multi-level Girl Scout troop representing girls in grades kindergarten to fourth grade.

Making a choice to volunteer was a simple one for these three women.

“Growing up in Missouri, I was in Camp Fire Girls and my mom was the leader,” Wells said. “I remember all the fun we had, and I wanted to share that experience with my daughter.”

Link agrees with Wells. “There was a need in our area and specifically in our troop and also seeing the difference that Girl Scouting has made in my two daughters. I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of,” Link said.

Simmons, who has served as the Girl Scout Daisy leader for a year, said the experience has been rewarding. “I wanted to participate in the Girl Scout program with my daughter and when I noticed the troop needed somebody to work with the younger girls, I volunteered.”

Each volunteer agrees that although they commit various hours throughout the month to lead troop meetings, manage paperwork and coordinate troop efforts with the girls guiding many of the decisions, Girl Scouting is relevant to shaping the girls and the adults in their daily lives.

This summer, the troop ventured to Washington D.C. The girls worked collectively for more than a year to raise funds for the trip.

But, travel is only a small focus of the girls’ year-round troop experience.

In the past three years, the girls have donated hours of service in their communities to help others. They collected food and toiletries for A Storehouse for Jesus, made Christmas decorations and sang songs for the residents of Autumn Care, collected candy around Halloween time and sent it to the military, assisted Davie Domestic Violence Services & Rape Crisis Center in helping at First Presbyterian Church with breakfast and cheering runners during the Color Downtown Fun Run.

Link said spending time with her daughters and investing in teaching them positive skills and traits is part of making lasting memories in all the girls’ lives.

Troop 02146 is open to girls in grades kindergarten to sixth. Or, contact local recruitment manager Anita Harrison to learn more about starting a troop at 336-328-0404 or e-mail aharrison@girlscoutsp2p.org.

Additional informational meetings are also scheduled at the following locations. All events are at 6:30 p.m.

• Sept. 10, Pinebrook Elementary, 477 Pinebrook School Road, Mocksville;

• Sept. 23, Mocksville Elementary, 295 Cemetery St., Mocksville;

• Sept. 28, Cornatzer Elementary, 552 Cornatzer Road, Mocksville;

• Sept. 30, Shady Grove Elementary, 3179 Cornatzer Road, Advance;

• Oct. 1, Cooleemee Elementary, 136 Marginal St., Cooleemee; and

• Oct. 1, William R. Davie Elementary, 3437 US 601 N., Mocksville.