[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 93 (Friday, May 31, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING REBECCA SMIRK'S DEDICATION TO THE GIRL SCOUTS

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                       HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 31, 2024

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an 
outstanding constituent from my district, Rebecca Smirk whose work and 
dedication as an outstanding Girl Scout Volunteer, Leader and Service 
Unit Manager has touched many lives in the Lower Bucks County region 
and the surrounding areas over the span of twelve years.
  A seventeen-year resident of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Rebecca grew 
up in Long Island, New Yolk and attended Swarthmore College. She 
graduated with a BA in Chemistry and Economics in 2000 and from Seton 
Hall University School of Law with a JD in Intellectual Property in 
2009. She is currently a Partner at Servilla Whitney, LLC.
  While her career accomplishments are impressive on their own, her 
greatest impact has been within her own community. Rebecca and her 
husband Jim moved to the Yardley/Lower Makefield community in 2007 and 
welcomed their daughter Emma in 2005. Growing up as a Girl Scout, she 
knew that she wanted to give her daughter the experiences she loved as 
a scout--outdoor adventure, leadership skills and lifelong friendships.
  Rebecca understood the importance of volunteerism from her own mother 
who was her troop leader for 9 years. When Emma joined scouts in 2012 
as a Daisy, Rebecca was quick to volunteer as a parent helper. When the 
troops leaders stepped down in 2015, Rebecca immediately stepped in. 
She knew they would be creating treasured scouting memories, just like 
the ones Rebecca had of her mother.
  In June of 2018, Rebecca again stepped up her volunteering and became 
the Service Unit Manager for the Sandy Run Service Unit within the Girl 
Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Council. In this role, she oversees 
nearly 40 troops, over 80 troop leaders, a Service Unit Team, and over 
400 active, registered Girl Scouts. Under her leadership, she has 
increased girl enrollment, increased the number of girls achieving 
higher awards, promoted Outdoor skills education, fostered 
relationships with community members and community service groups like 
Aid for Friends as well as forming new relationships with Trenton Area 
Soup Kitchen and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
  Additionally, Rebecca built upon the Service Unit activities and 
traditions. Rebecca has been a driving force behind the continued 
success of our Sandy Run Service Unit Summer Day Camp which draws 100 
girls each year from the Service Unit and neighboring towns. She has 
expanded and built a community of parents, volunteers, and community 
leaders who have worked together to build girls with courage, 
confidence, and character.
  Rebecca has been a champion for girl-led leadership opportunities 
within the Service Unit. She has gone above and beyond in her service 
to ensure every girl who wanted to belong to a Girl Scout troop is 
included. Girls from disbanded troops or former Juliette Scouts were 
included by welcoming them into her own established older girl troop.
  Rebecca's welcoming hand ensured these girls remained active in Girl 
Scouting and many went on to achieve Silver and Gold Awards through her 
encouragement. When 23 little kindergartners needed a leader so they 
could join Girl Scouts, Rebecca again stepped in to become the leader 
of a new Daisy troop while still helping guide her older girls towards 
graduation.
  In 2023, Rebecca received the Gertrude K. McGonigle Award, which 
recognizes one individual a year from Girl Scouts of Eastern 
Pennsylvania's nine county footprint who has been a registered Girl 
Scout volunteer for a minimum of ten years, has proven to be a positive 
role model while working directly with girls, and has exemplified the 
values and traditions of Girl Scouting. The award is given in honor of 
Gertrude K. McGonigle by her daughter, in recognition of her mother's 
long-standing interest and support of Girl Scouting in the Reading/
Berks County area. Rebecca has positively impacted and inspired 
numerous volunteers as well as hundreds of girls within our community.
  The hours she has dedicated to her two troops and to our Unit are 
countless and her initiative and creativity providing a rich Girl 
Scouts experience to all of our scouts is limitless. Rebecca's ability 
to live a life of service and a dedication to the Girl Scout Law is 
commendable. She is a role model to many and exemplifies the values and 
traditions of Girl Scouting.
  We are all incredibly grateful for the positive impact Rebecca Smirk 
has had through her volunteer work and we are delighted that she will 
be taking on a new volunteer role as a Girl Scout Gold Award Committee 
Member with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Council continuing 
to inspire the young women in Bucks, Berks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, 
Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia Counties.

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