History, relics, antiquity, yesteryear, bygone times…they often evoke warm memories of “simpler” times. Simpler times like the iconic 1950s, the “Rosie the Riveter” all-hands-on-deck 1940s, or maybe even 1912. As Girl Scouts, we recognize that year as the beginning of the world’s foremost organization for girls.
This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of facilitating Troop Camp Certification with 4 other volunteers and a staff member. It was humbling to realize that, as I begin my 20th year of Girl Scouts (14th as a leader), I was the newbie of the group. Several of these women were Girl Scouts from Brownies (Daisies weren’t in existence yet) through graduation, and had earned their Gold Award (or equivalent of the time). Most have continued to be leaders long after their children graduated.
Between the 6 of us, we probably had over 200 years of experience in Girl Scouts. The participants in the class repeatedly commented on how much they appreciated our experience as we shared with them that they WEREN’T ALONE with whatever issue was facing their troop. They also learned that we usually weren’t the first Girl Scout in our family. Our mothers and grandmothers had been Girl Scouts as well. It’s in our (green) blood!
I recently ran across a website that calls itself “a virtual treasure trove of all things tangible in Girl Scouting”. If you haven’t been involved in Girl Scouts for decades, or didn’t have a green-blood matriarch, you can still enjoy the rich history of the organization through documents and pictures. While you may not be able to hear the anecdotes from fellow leaders, you CAN glean advice, information, and confidence learning from the past! ~Jen M
Wayne County Service Unit #800 