She Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | Page 143

Lafreda, far right, with her troop. 䌀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀  攀 䰀椀氀椀攀猀⸀⸀⸀ 䘀爀攀猀栀 䘀氀漀眀攀爀猀Ⰰ 䄀渀琀椀焀甀攀猀Ⰰ 䜀椀昀琀猀 ☀ 洀漀爀攀℀ ㄀㠀㐀 圀⸀ 䔀嘀䄀一匀 匀吀刀䔀䔀吀 ∠ 䘀䰀伀刀䔀一䌀䔀 ∠ 㠀㐀㌀⸀㐀㜀㈀⸀㔀㈀ ㈀ 䴀伀一䐀䄀夀ⴀ䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀 ㄀ 䄀䴀ⴀ㘀倀䴀 ∠ 匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀 ㄀ 䄀䴀ⴀ㘀倀䴀 IN LAFREDA’S TROOP, each girl has the opportunity to learn and experience new things, become comfortable at public speaking and give back to their community. Younger girls learn new skills and share what they have learned with others. For older girls, there are leadership, teaching, and mentoring opportunities. In fact, Lafreda allows her scouts to determine the direction for their troop. At the beginning of each Girl Scout year, she and her assistant leaders meet with her troop to decide what they’d like to accomplish in the coming year. Some of the things her troop did this past year include marching in the Florence Christmas Parade, serving lunch to veterans, visiting residents and making blankets for a nursing home, participating in Wreathes Across America, volunteering at the Manna House and the Pecan Festival, soliciting food items for Help4Kids and taking a trip to Virginia College to learn more about their cosmetology program. All of the ways they give back to the community couldn’t be accomplished without the support of the awesome assistant leaders and parents that support the troop. In addition to her own troop, Lafreda coordinates activities for all troops in the Florence and Timmonsville area. She enjoys working with youth and seeing them come into their own. When young girls become confident in their own skin and unafraid to be themselves, Lafreda is fulfilled. Lafreda’s heart and passion for kids is what has made her Girl Scout troop so successful. She knows God called her to this position to fulfill her life according to His purpose. She keeps saying she is going to retire from her title as Troop Leader, but she thinks about the girls in her troop and how her decision may impact the troop. The girls are what keep her going; Lafreda remembers all of the people who inspired her when she was a child. She wants to have that same impact on her scouts’ lives. She hopes to inspire her scouts the way her own role models shaped her into the woman she is today. When all is said and done, Lafreda hopes her legacy will remain: that she was selfless and helped others in every way she knew how—putting God first and living by the Girl Scout Law. Lafreda Doctor is currently the Vice President of Talent Management and HR Services at First Reliance Bank in Florence. She and her husband, Stevenson, reside in Florence with their two children: Steven (17) and Jasmine (13). SHEMAGAZINE.COM FEBUARY 2016 143