FARMINGTON — As a Girl Scout, Michelle Mitchell of Wilton gained experience in life skills and the confidence to travel and attempt new things.

For the past six years, she has volunteered as a troop leader so her daughter, Alison Pinkham, could have a similar experience through the 102-year-old  organization devoted to girls, their education and leadership development.

Girl Scouts of Maine wants to make the opportunity available for more girls to join Girl Scouts. But there is a need for more adult volunteers to join, Cortney Smart of Girl Scouts of Maine said in a release.

Around the country, a lack of volunteers keeps girls on lists for placement in troops. Franklin County is no different, officials said.

“There are a ton of girls on the list but we need leaders,” Barbi Castonguay of Wilton, cookie supervisor, said.

There are 30 girls waiting to join, with many of those in Farmington, she said. One troop of Daisy and Brownie Scouts, grades K-3, in Farmington has 22 members.

Across Maine, there are 1,150 girls of mostly young ages, waiting to join, Suzanne Hand, director of Volunteer Development for Girl Scouts of Maine, said.

The membership numbers, including girls and adults, remain constant but the number of adults taking on leadership responsibility is dropping, she said.

More parents are willing to help out once in a while rather than lead. Hand attributes people working more than one job as a big part of the reason.

“The number of girls is not dwindling,” she said. “They want to be in Girl Scouts.”

As much as Girl Scouts is for youngsters, it is also important for adults, Hand said. They gain skills on how to lead and learn so they can share with the girls. Some volunteers have used the skills they’ve learned to become staff members.

People think leading a troop is only for moms, but grandmothers, aunts, uncles and fathers can lead, too. Leaders do not have to be a mom or have children to volunteer, she said.

Helping as cookie supervisor, Castonguay, Mitchell’s mother, said she “does it for the girls.”

Mitchell sees her daughter gaining confidence at trying new things, making lifelong friends and enjoying adventures.

Her troop has worked to buy passports, food and other necessities for a trip to Quebec. One program offered to older scouts involves trips to other states and countries to help keep their interest in scouting, Mitchell said.

The girls also learn to give back to the community. Her troop started and runs the Franklin County Pet Pantry from noon to 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the Franklin County Animal Shelter.

“It is a food pantry for pets,” she said. “Donations are needed.”

Cadet Scouts will help with a birthday party for Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in the dining hall at the University of Maine at Farmington, Castonguay said.

Being a Girl Scout volunteer is not as time consuming as many think, Mitchell said. She is a single mother who works 36 hours a week and is working on her master’s degree.

Girl Scouts make a lot of resources and ideas available. Meeting with other leaders provides support, she said.

Girls Scouts of Maine also offers an opportunity for a a staff person to run a program for a short period to give girls and adults a feel for what a troop is like, Hand said.

Parents realize it’s not as hard as they thought, she said.

For more information about volunteering locally, contact Mitchell at 860-8111 or at shellmitch1976@yahoo.com, or contact Amber Duguay at aduguay@gsmaine.org

abryant@sunjournal.com