Hampton Falls woman named Girl Scout Volunteer of the Month

HAMPTON FALLS — Showing Girl Scouts that they can do anything if they put their mind to it is important to Candace Cimon, leader of Troop 58715 in Hampton/Hampton Falls.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains agrees and has named Candace Cimon its Volunteer of the Month for July.

Cimon, 45, of Hampton Falls, has been a Girl Scout leader for six years, currently mentoring seven cadettes in sixth grade with co-leader Heather Bosco. They are working hard to make the world a better place, and having fun and gaining skills along the way.

“We just returned from our Sea Scouts Camporee this past weekend where our troop was responsible for the bridging ceremony for all the younger girls,” she said. “A highlight of this year’s camporee is that we rocked archery — one of our girls managed to nail two bullseyes!”

DeeDee Rice, a volunteer support specialist with the Girl Scout council, said Cimon took over leading the troop when the previous leader had to step down.

“This past year, the troop choreographed a dance routine; enjoyed the solar eclipse while working on badges; made blankets for guinea pigs, cats and dogs; and donated enrichment toys for species of all sizes," said Rice. "The troop visited the animal shelter all dressed in pink as they were going to the movie 'Barbie' after their visit. Candace and her co-leader Heather Bosco together make a great team; ensuring that the troop meets their program goals and have fun while doing it.”

Most of the girls have been friends since kindergarten or even their daycare days, bonding over their love of dance and attending classes together. Creating their own dance routine to earn a Girl Scout "Trolls" movie patch was an entertaining highlight for them this year. Cimon said the girls in the troop also share a love of animals, crafting, and being outdoors. They’ve done maple sugaring and apple picking, hiking and biking on local trails, and enjoy camporees.

Last year her Girl Scouts earned the highest honor for juniors in grades 4 and 5, the Bronze Award, by donating pet toys and making fleece blankets that the New Hampshire SPCA in Stratham uses for visitors to hold small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs.

“The girls also baked homemade dog cookies,” she said.

Now that the girls are cadettes, they are considering projects to earn the Girl Scout Silver Award. Cimon is also working on a career fair to help them start thinking about their future career paths.

Cimon was a Brownie as a child in Ohio and wanted her daughter to have the same great experience she had. As an adult, Cimon takes joy in witnessing the girls grow and gain confidence, providing them with experiences they might not otherwise encounter.

“If you're part of a hiking family, you might go hiking. If you're not, you may not get into nature often. When we went on our first hiking trip there were troop members (for whom) this was a first foray into a forest,” she said. “I think it's valuable to give them exposure to experiences that they might not have tried or to explore topics they may not have otherwise considered. This exposure could potentially steer them towards a future career path or simply spark a curiosity to dive deeper into a topic. Also, these experiences can have them thinking about their community and friendships and how they can make a positive impact on the world and people around them.”

Cimon said her experience as a troop leader with co-leader Bosco has been “super fun” and gives them both a way to spend time with their daughters and get to know their daughters’ friends in a different capacity.

"I'm dedicated to preserving the time needed to keep our troop going," she emphasized.

When not volunteering, Cimon serves as a senior product manager in the CPG beverage category, a career field within marketing that she has highlighted to her Girl Scouts, who may not have otherwise considered it. She and her husband live in Hampton Falls with their son, daughter, and several pets.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Falls woman named Girl Scout Volunteer of the Month