One of the most satisfying rewards of being a children’s storyteller is having numerous opportunities to create a positive future by making powerful stories come alive for young audiences. Recently, one such opportunity was presented to me when a Girl Scout Brownie troop leader requested a special storytelling show for her girls. She wanted her Brownie troop to experience a story that would get them to think about ways they could have an impact on the world. I sent her the story’s main ideas, which she thought were perfect.
On the evening of the storytelling, at a church in Virginia Beach, I explained to the girls that I (The Storytelling Queen) have many crowns and why I selected the crown for that evening. My crown resembled the headgear worn by the fictional superhero, Wonder Woman. I chose the “wonder” crown with the red star in the center because, when I share motivational stories with youth organizations, I feel just as powerful as Wonder Woman. (At previous storytelling shows, audience members described me as “the superhero of storytelling, with supernatural powers that bring superb stories to life.”)
The title of the show for the Girl Scouts was “Truly Beautiful Girls.” As the story characters were vividly presented (through my usual alternating voice interpretations, props, and stage settings, etc.), I could see and feel the girls making a connection with those characters. I was delighted because the goal of the presentation was for the girls to form a link and identify with the story characters and actually see themselves in the characters. Thus, as the story characters had a powerful global impact, so could the Brownies.
The Brownie troop (and their leaders) remained attentive and appeared joyful during the performance. I was excited by their reaction because I truly felt how significant my role as the storyteller was in reinforcing character and self-confidence in the girls, which will help them to set high goals for themselves. When my stories inspire youth groups, such as the Girl Scout Brownies, to set standards of excellence and aim to reach their highest potential, I am touching the future in an amazing way, and I am thrilled to be able to do this by telling exceptional stories that serve as vessels for the creation of achievable dreams.
After the storytelling, the Brownies and their troop leaders expressed their appreciation. In addition, they were complimentary and said the story was great. After thanking them for their commendations, I began to think about what really makes a story great. When hearing a great story, in addition to being thoroughly entertained, a meaningful message(s) is received that has a profound influence on the listeners and/or audience members. I felt humbled that the Girl Scouts had given my story the title of “great” because this was evidence of the positive effect that the story had on them.
I believe strongly in the Girl Scouts’ mission, which includes instilling courage and confidence in girls to help them make the world a better place. I am privileged to use my storytelling skills to help the Girls Scouts achieve their objectives and earn their awards.