NUTLEY — Three generations of women in one family are lifetime members of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, with more than 162 years of combined Girl Scout experience.
Jeanne Van Steen, who has resided in Nutley for the past 65 years, has been a lifetime member of Girl Scouts for 82 years.
Van Steen grew up in St. Louis, Mo., and became a Brownie in 1939 when she was in second grade. She continued Girl Scouts through her senior year of high school, when she became a Mariner. The Girl Scout Mariner Program is designed for girls who are looking to engage in water-focused activities. Living on the Mississippi River, being a Mariner was just a way of life for this Girl Scout.
While in high school, Van Steen was part of an advisory board and her counselor, the late Margaret W. Price, who later became president of Girl Scouts of the USA, was her mentor.
“Mrs. Price was an amazing and influential person; she was one of the reasons I became so involved with Girl Scouts,” Van Steen said.
From there, Van Steen was a troop leader in college and continued her involvement until the last of her three daughters finished Girl Scouts.
“I was a leader for 30 years, and even had first and second generations of girls throughout the years,” she said.
Van Steen has held several other positions within the council, including Service Unit manager in Nutley, vice president of the Council of Greater Essex County and, from 1986 to 1992, president of the Essex County council.
Her daughter, Coralyn Vossler, who lives in Livingston, has been a lifetime member for 57 years.
Vossler joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie in 1965. Her mother was her troop leader and Vossler continued as a Girl Scout until she was a Cadette.
Vossler, like her mother, became a troop leader while in college and later became a leader for girls with disabilities and hearing challenges.
“My mother was truly an inspirational woman. I wanted to follow in her footsteps and be a positive influence on young women,” she said.
When Coralyn Vossler’s daughter, Sara Vossler, joined Girl Scouts, Coralyn Vossler was her Daisy leader and remained the troop leader until the girls earned their Gold Award in 2012. The Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, is earned through a community service project completed at the Senior and/or Ambassador levels.
After being a troop leader, Coralyn Vossler was a Service Unit manager for Essex and Hudson counties for 14 years and now serves on the Girl Scout Council Gold Award Committee as chairperson of the East Committee.
“I love being on this committee; I get to meet so many interesting young women and listen to the final Gold Award proposals,” Coralyn Vossler said. “These young women are our future. Seeing girls with diverse backgrounds come together and become leaders through the skillsets they have developed from being a Girl Scout makes me proud to be part of this amazing organization.”
Sara Vossler earned her Gold Award in 2012 and is a lifetime Girl Scout member. Her skills enabled her to become a teacher in Malaysia.
All three women attribute their successes and leadership skills to Girl Scouts.
“Being the first of three generations, the one thing that has not changed over the years is the core values and leadership skills that Girl Scouts instills to help build confident, self-assured and independent women,” Van Steen said.
Photos Courtesy of Coralyn Vossler
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