Carol Hansen is changing lives with her system of circles, numbering two to 20,000.

Dr. Hansen, CEO of the newly formed Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, uses the meeting system to talk to as many of the scouts, volunteers and board members as possible in the 47 counties she oversees. The newly organized council now serves a total of 36,000 girls and 12,000 adult volunteers.

“Whatever size the circle is, let’s talk about Girl Scouts, and what it is about Girl Scouts that gives you energy,” Dr. Hansen said of her communication system, reliving with a smile the biggest of those circles that recently took place at Kauffman Stadium among 20,000 supporters.

Now that the council has been placed under her guidance, Ms. Hansen talks about the ways scouting can influence the lives of young women ages 5 to 17. She spent several years as a teacher, principal and superintendent across the Midwest.

“There’s a lot of research around how women and girls look at leadership, and what we’ve found is that girls and young women of any age think that leadership is a way of contributing to their community,” she said.

Dr. Hansen said she wants to make sure the organization continues to find outlets for girls to be leaders and to provide opportunities they cannot get from other activities.

“Girls that have a good adult mentor and have a good peer group are very well-prepared for what the future might throw at them,” she said.

Gina Garvin, director of public relations and marketing for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, said the organization has expanded its traditions.

“From the national level, what we’re trying to do is find a way to have that special niche for a girl, let a girl lead where she is going,” Ms. Garvin said.

Girl Scouts continue to have a major following in St. Joseph, where one in every three girls is a member.

Janet Steury, a member of the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, said the combining of the councils in St. Joseph, Kansas City and Topeka is part of a national realignment process that will turn more than 330 councils into 109 high-capacity councils by 2009. The process has been several years in the making, and Ms. Steury said similar non-profit youth-centered organizations around the country are watching with interest.

“I’m hoping that we’ll be able to be as visible if not more visible in the communities where we are,” she said, adding that all three cities will maintain their resource centers.

The new council was designed through a series of meetings with members of all three of the original councils, and was not without its bumps in the road.

“This first year, it has been difficult to budget because nobody knew for sure what it was going to take and how we were going to do it,” she said.

Because the three councils were already strong on their own, Ms. Steury said their combination may create new opportunities in areas such as fundraising.

“I think we’re still in the learning stages,” she said of the realignment.