2023 Legacy Pearl Honoree
Coleen (Ruble) Dyson was born in Chanute, Kansas and lived there the majority of her formative years. After graduating with an Associate’s Degree from Neosho County Community College in 1969, she moved to Wichita, Kansas. Then in 1971, she married Charles Dyson. In time, their family expanded with daughter, Heather, and son, Dustin.
During the Spring of 1980, Coleen volunteered to be an assistant leader for Heather’s new Girl Scout troop. By summer, she was asked by Margaret Johnson to become the actual leader, and the rest is history. Coleen would find her passion for Girl Scouting and her love for the outdoors. Coleen was the troop leader for Heather’s troop for 12 years, and in the girls’ senior year, Heather and three other girls in the troop earned their Gold Awards.
In 1985, Coleen became an employee of the Wichita Area Girl Scout Council, responsible for the council shop. However, that did not prevent her from continuing to be a Girl Scout volunteer. She has fond memories of being a camp promoter, trainer for troop camping and outdoor cooking and even directing day camp at Four Winds. In 1986, Quindaro Neighborhood presented Coleen a Lifetime Membership in Girl Scouting as a “thank you” for being an excellent Neighborhood Chair.
When the new Girl Scout Service Center was being built in Wichita in 1992, Coleen worked with the interior designer in creating the Girl Scout shop/resource room. It was designed to be a one-stop location where leaders could purchase their troop supplies, check out equipment, reserve an overnight troop camping location and get answers to their Scouting questions. Throughout her 31 years on staff, her favorite part was providing excellent service for all of the Girl Scout volunteers and especially, the girls!
After going to night school for several years, in 1992, Coleen graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and Retail. She continued to put this degree to good use in the Girl Scout shop for the next 24 years.
After retiring from Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Council in 2016, Coleen has stayed involved in Girl Scouting. Currently, she is serving as President of Girl Scouts Alumni & Friends and leading the Girl Scout Historical Collection Team.
