Girl Scouts enjoy classes and postcard exchange

 

By DON PEASLEY
The Independent

 

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The Girl Scout experience of today’s young girls is vast and varied. Terry Knox, Woodstock Scout leader for eight years, has introduced Brownies and Cadets to everything from selling cookies and keeping track of earnings to studying nanotechnology with scientists at Northwestern University.
Knox’s co-leader for the eight seventh- and eighth-grade girls in Cadet Troop 325 is Ellen McCormack. The Cadets and their chaperones recently stayed at Hostel International in downtown Chicago. With money earned from selling cookies, they explored Chinatown and shared a meal with people from Russia and Australia. Later this spring, the troop will learn to rock climb at Prairie Stone Fitness.
Knox’s co-leader for the 10 second- and third-grade girls in Brownie Troop 495 is Candy Busch. The group is enrolled in a computer class at the library; the girls went bowling and walked in Woodstock’s Christmas parade. The two troops participate in activities together. The girls attend Northwood Middle, Greenwood Elementary and St. Mary schools or are home-schooled.
Both troops were involved in an international and U.S. postcard exchange and mailed 77 postcards and were delighted to receive 72 in exchange. The postcards contain information about the girls, what they like to do as individuals and what they like to do as a Girl Scout troop.
“Through the postcard program, the girls learn about their sister Scouts and how things are the same and how things are different in their countries,” said Knox. “The Brownies become excited because they are centered in their own world. It’s exciting for them to be communicating with kids around the world. They enjoy locating the country on a map and learn where the farthest card came from.
“The Cadets were thrilled reading about others’ adventures, so it gets them thinking ‘out of the box’ and gives them ideas to try,” she said.
Postcards were received from all 50 states, plus Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Germany and Denmark. E-mail postcards came from Ireland, New Zealand, Faroe Islands, South Africa, Germany, Scotland, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic and Turkey.
The Cadets earned the Silver Award, creating skits about bullying, self-esteem and positive body image and performed them at local schools. They are planning a trip to Minnesota this summer.
“The Silver Award takes 40 hours and consists of doing public relations and planning outreach to the community,” said Knox.
The Brownies are earning a “blanketeer” Girl Scout patch this spring by making knot-tied blankets for the Linus Project, an international program that distributes blankets to disaster victims, hospitals and women’s shelters. They are currently exchanging letters with pen pals in North Carolina.
For information about joining the Girl Scout program, call 847-741-5521.

This article was published in the March 26, 2008 edition of The Woodstock Independent.