2007
Isabella started Girl Scouts in 2007. She had been on the waiting list for 2 years. In 2007, I got a phone call saying that Sophia was eligible for a Daisy Troop as a Kindergartner but that Isabella would have to wait for an opening in a Brownie Troop, because she was now in 2nd grade (she had missed all of Daisies because of being on the waiting list). I begged the person on the other end of the line to please please find me a Brownie Troop, because Isabella would be sad that Sophia got a troop before her. That wonderful person found me one opening in a Brownie Troop at another school. That person is, Stacy Kerr. Stacy was formerly the Area Service Manager of Murrieta. She understood my problem and really helped me out. Turns out, she would also become Sophia's troop leader (and still is).
So, Isabella was a Brownie in a 2nd grade troop from Alta Murrieta. And, Sophia was a Daisy in a troop from Rail Ranch. And, although life in 2 troops was difficult, it was working for the girls. In 2008 Ava started Kindergarten, and it was her turn to start Girl Scouts. I didn't want to have to be on that waiting list again and I was nervous. A few of the Brownies in Isabella's troop had younger sisters all going to Kindergarten that year. As moms we started to wonder if it would work if we created a large, multi-leveled troop. Brownies with their Daisy sisters where the Brownies would mentor the Daisies along the way. If so Lisa, the troop leader would need a couple more co-leaders (one for Daisies and one for Brownies). Soooo.....a Troop Co-Leader was born.
I took on the Daisy project and have worked for the last 2 years in helping the Daisies fulfill their petal requirements. As a troop co-leader, I've enjoyed working with all the levels of the Girls...last year we bridged our first set of Juniors, so this school year we had all levels of Girl Scouts from Daisy through Junior in one troop. 23 girls ranging from Kindergarten through 4th Grade (occasionally we had 25...as I often brought Sophia and Quentin to our meetings). We worked diligently on projects that would represent the entire troop but could be worked on by each individual group within one large troop. Everyone worked together, everyone worked independently, we went on several informative field trips and we've had a lot of fun. Girls bonded with their own sisters (nearly half the troop now is sets of siblings) and they bonded with other girls, they mentored each other AND on more than one occasion this year...these wonderful 2nd year Daisies showed the Brownies and the Juniors that they have so pretty smart ideas.
I got goosebumps the day the girls in every level sat down and brainstormed about the World Thinking Day project that USA Girl Scouts had designated as the 2010 theme. These girls had some serious, thoughtful ideas on how to help children in this world who are starving.
We laughed alot with these girls this year, we had serious times, working on charitable projects, we learned about ourselves, our families and the world around us.
Today, we closed this chapter of our story. We are moving on. The troop is disbanding, some are ready to go off on their own, some are moving and some are changing direction in this journey. We celebrated another successful year by having a bowling party this afternoon. We enjoyed each others company one last time. We bridged our final group of girls. Some of our Brownies had earned their wings to fly up to Juniors. They left the nest of our troop today. I know that they will land in wonderful troops if they desire that.
I held myself together fairly well as my young former Daisies, now bridged to brownies hugged me goodbye. I will see a few of them as our paths cross in town...but many I may not see again. I hope that I have inspired them for the future. It wasn't until the very end....I had been the keeper of the troop banners we made recently for our first and only parade marching experience. I had the banners neatly folded and I waited my turn in line with our leader, Lisa Nesbitt. I held the troop 140 banners out and I handed them to Lisa and my voice caught as I said "these are for you". She asked me why and a tear slid down my cheek and I said "because this is YOUR troop. Thank you for all you have done in the last 4 years for these girls." It truly has been a wonderful experience for my own daughters I know. Two grown Girl Scouts stood there crying and laughing at the same time.
Troop 140 will always be a part of our personal history and I'm very thankful for the things my girls and I have learned and experienced.
No comments:
Post a Comment