I was a Brownie for less than 2 years. I remember wearing the ENTIRE Brownie uniform to school. I think it included a skirt, button-up shirt, sash, knee highs and some sort of cap. After school, we would go to the troop leader’s home and have our meeting. One activity I remember vividly is making butter in mason jars. We had to shake that jar for what felt like hours until butter formed from the cream.
Fast forward 30 years into the future, and my oldest daughter is 5 years old. I see a flyer for a Girl Scout troop in her elementary school. I hadn’t thought of Girl Scouts in decades, but my sweet kindergartner was painfully shy and didn’t seem interested in any other clubs or teams. This was one thing she would at least try. The leader welcomed my daughter, the girls were kind and super friendly. Slowly, very slowly, my quiet daughter started to enjoy being a Daisy. She learned about friendship, respect, the environment, and so much more. It started off simple, and as their troop bridged to Brownies the activities offered grew and the skills they gained expanded.
I was sold. By the time my oldest was in second grade, she could confidently ask a stranger if they would like to buy cookies, then accurately give them change. She knew how to shoot a bow and arrow and how to program a robot. The problem was, my middle daughter was entering Kindergarten, and I desperately wanted her to have these same opportunities as her older sister. I just couldn’t find a Daisy Troop for her to join. So, I blindly decided to start one.
My oldest daughter’s troop leader is fantastic, and she encouraged me to go for it. I asked her a million questions and relied heavily on her insight. Once I made the decision to start a troop, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana provided support, training, and assistance. A good friend of mine volunteered to be my co-leader, and the rest is history!
My troop is made up of 6 and 7-year-old girls, they are still Daisies, and we plan to bridge to Brownies this winter. They are silly, smart, adventurous, and wonderful. I hadn’t expected to thoroughly enjoy this as much as I am.
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana provides all volunteers with a great catalog of programs and activities for all troops. They also offer an online toolkit for leaders to use to help plan meetings and earn badges. This resource helps meeting prep to be quick and painless. I was nervous about selling cookies, but even that process was relatively simple, the Girl Scouts have it down to a science. The money our troop earns from cookie sales has helped us pay for membership dues and activities.
I am always amazed by how excited people in our community are about Girl Scouts. Mostly everyone will buy a box of cookies or offer to help our troop. Through my network of brilliant friends, we have had a scientist come teach my troop about the DNA of a strawberry and a beekeeper to teach the girls about honey bee conservation.
Girl Scouts has created opportunities for my daughters to learn skills that they would not otherwise know. It has opened doors for them to try new things like archery and robotics. Our troops have been able to try a ninja warrior course and spend the night in the Indiana State Museum. My oldest daughter’s troop is in charge of the food pantry for the kids in their school system.
Girl Scouts has given me the chance to learn alongside my daughters. My middle daughter is proud that I am her troop’s leader and is excited for us to do this together. I am thrilled to learn how to extract DNA from a Strawberry and see a Venus FlyTrap “eat” a fly, and I am even more excited that I get to do those things right next to my girl.
I am proud to volunteer for the Girl Scouts. I am proud to be associated with an organization that prioritizes girls. They strive to teach girls to be go-getters, innovators, leaders, and risk-takers. I love that I can be a part of that mission.
