Another Year of Girl Scouting Ends with a Splash

When I was young, girls didn't have many extra-curricular options – especially if you couldn't do cartwheels and splits to make a cheerleading squad – and Girl Scouts was a popular choice for many. The number and size of troops in West Orange were huge back then, and it was great fun to share all sorts of new experiences and activities designed for, with and by girls.

Today, girls have a lot more choices, and with only so much free time in a day, not nearly as many are choosing Girl Scouting. But for those who do, the rewards are just as great as when I was a member of Girl Scout Troop 558 at Our Lady of Lourdes School years ago.

When I first became a Girl Scout leader in 2004, I admit it wasn't something I sought out. However, as so often is the case, in order for my daughter to continue with scouting, someone had to step up. With no parents volunteering to be co-leader, I reached out to a high school friend who has a special affection for both my daughter and most things scouting. For five years we served together, helping girls to enjoy new experiences, serve others and grow in maturity and community with their fellow scouts. 

Marilyn "retired" as my co-leader a couple of years ago, but now Valerie Mahoney and I work together with a group of middle and high school girls – "Cadette" and "Senior" Scouts. I've also gotten to know and enjoy working with lots of other women who lead Girl Scout troops in West Orange, all of us volunteering our time and talents in an effort to pass along the values Girl Scouting has provided for close to 100 years.

Recently, the West Orange Girl Scouts capped another successful year with our annual pool party. Close to 200 girls and their leaders came together at Ginny Duenkel Pool on a steamy Friday evening in early June. Bobbie Braunstein from Redwood Troop 20844 and Zena Llanos from Liberty Troop 20445 organized the event, complete with pizza delivered poolside. Sounds of splashing and shrieks of laughter filled the air, as the girls alternated between swimming and socializing at umbrella-topped tables scattered throughout the grounds.

This year featured a dessert table filled with cookies, brownies and other tasty treats girls brought to share, as well as a variety of games stationed at the pool's Rec Shelter. The older girls from my troop led a water balloon toss and hula hoop contest for Daisy, Brownie and Junior Scouts. The great weather, turnout and community-building made this year's pool party by far the best my troop has ever attended!

As we close out another year, the West Orange Girl Scouts have set their sights on being bigger and even better in the fall. Rachelle Brown, an experienced troop leader from Redwood School, has also taken on the role of Service Unit Manager for West Orange, responsible for overseeing Girl Scouting in town and coordinating with the district office.

"As troop leaders, my co-leader Maria and I really enjoy our role, and we are fortunate to be able to be a part of creating memories for our daughters and their friends," said Rachelle. "My main goal as the new Service Unit Manager is to bring all the Girl Scout troops within West Orange together to share ideas, exchange experiences, and participate in activities that are both entertaining and enriching. I am a firm believer that our daughters deserve the best we have to offer."

If you'd like to learn more about Girl Scouting in West Orange or know a girl in Kindergarten through Grade 12 who wants to join, contact Rachelle at dionbrown2@verizon.net. You can also check out these websites: http://girlscouts.org and http://gshnj.org.  Look out for my upcoming blog on past and present adventures camping overnight at the Girl Scout Oval in South Mountain Reservation.

Clare Silvestri Krakoviak is leader of Girl Scout Troop 20723 at St. Joseph's Church/Blessed Pope John XXIII Academy.