 |
 |
|
Sisterhood in the WoodsEvery Girl Scout is part of an international sisterhood. When Girl Scouts meet, instead of seeing each other as “different,” they easily bond because of their common heritage in Girl Scouting. They share the Promise and Law, the same fundamental ideas and the same goal of making the world a better place. Recently, over 140 Girl Scouts from neighboring towns Norwood and Harrington Park, celebrated their sisterhood by participating in an afternoon of camping, singing, hiking, cooking and earning awards and patches. Mary Ann Schran, Service Unit Manager (SUM) for Harrington Park said, “The idea for a Girl Scout ‘mixer’ between the two towns stemmed from the fact that these girls will eventually go to the same high school, Northern Valley Old Tappan, and what better way for them to get a head start on making some new friends (while keeping the old) than have them meet now and share a wonderful experience together.” The crisp fall afternoon was meticulously organized with activity stations. Mixed groups of Norwood and Harrington Park Scouts rotated through the different activities. Older Girl Scouts earned leadership hours by acting as mentors to the younger girls. The 4th graders were mentored by the 7th graders who helped them earn the Outdoor Fun badge, with a focus on outdoor cooking. They made minestrone soup, Hobo packets, porcupine meatballs, biscuits, apple crisp and dessert dumplings.
The Brownies were paired up with 5th and 6th graders who led them through the requirements for the Outdoor Adventure TryIt. The Brownies enjoyed s’mores, participated in a relay race, worked on knot tying, hiked, and learned basic survival skills. The Daisy Girl Scouts were mentored by the 9th graders who taught them about the friendship circle and took them to the campfire station where they made s’mores, sang songs and ate the cooked meal prepared by the 4th and 7th graders. The brand new Daisies earned their “sisterhood” petal having fun with their big sisters! “It was nice to see girls of all ages working together,” said Norwood Outdoor Consultant Christine Hageman. Sue Evanella, Harrington Park 6th grade leader commented, “The girls undoubtedly have a lot in common, but now they know that there are a lot of other Girl Scouts out there and I think that this camping experience has reinforced their common bond.” The afternoon ended around the campfire where everyone enjoyed a cup of hot soup, the older girls led in singing campfire songs, and finally everyone sang Taps, which was then played on the trumpet by the older brother of two Girl Scouts to end the afternoon.. Ilyse Spaventa, 6th grade leader and organizer from Harrington Park said it was the perfect ending to a beautiful fall day. “It was a treat to see all of the smiles (and marshmallows) on the faces of the girls,” said Schran. Norwood SUM Colleen Steele said that her daughters had such a wonderful time, they want to know when the next one is! The ending line of the Girl Scout Law is “Be a sister to every Girl Scout.” This life lesson was truly evident among these sister Girl Scouts of Harrington Park and Norwood. Girl Scout Council of Bergen County
|
