When did you start with Girl Scouts? Why did you want to join?
I joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy when I was six years old. I was in kindergarten and my dad’s two sisters started a troop for my cousins and myself. Go Troop 838! I worked my way up to a Brownie and remember the ceremony like it was yesterday. I still remember going to our meetings and spending time with girls my age and learning new skills that weren’t taught in school. We learned self-defense, outdoor survival skills, business practices and so much more at a young age! I wanted to join Girl Scouts to be a part of the group with my cousins—but stayed for the experience. I’m so grateful for all that Girl Scouts taught me!
What is your favorite Girl Scout memory?
One of my favorite Girl Scout memories (there are so many to choose from!) was doing a Girl Scouts camp at the Oregon Coast with my troop. We rented a house right off of the beach and spent the weekend exploring the town and tide pools. We also took swimming lessons at a local indoor pool, where some of the girls on the trip learned how to swim for the first time.
Another amazing memory was at a different Girl Scouts camp—one for Oregon troops. There were probably 20 other troops of all ages on this trip. Before we left, we made pins to trade that we wore on our hats—I still have some of the pins to this day, 20 years later! I felt so grown up on an away trip with my troop. I learned so much at that camp!
One of the dining hall rules was “No elbows on the table”. If you got caught breaking the rule, you had to dance around the table while the rest of the troop sang “Squirrely, squirrely, shake your bushy tail!” Manners were just one of the many traits we worked on. One last great memory I have was learning how to make Girl Scout cookies and meeting up with other troops to show off our creations. Cookie time was always the best time of the year!
