Thursday, July 5, 2012

100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Brown

Thanks to Melissa Brown for submitting this entry to our guest blog.  Melissa has been a long time Girl Scout and is currently the leader of her daughter's Junior Troop. 

If you are interested in being our next guest blogger, let us know by emailing us.  
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Melissa Brown
Hi.  My name is Melissa Brown.  I was a Girl Scout Brownie when I was a girl.  I have great memories of our meetings in the school lunch room. After school we would go down stairs and start our projects, sing songs, and start earning badges for our brown Brownie uniforms!  How special I felt when my dad and I would sew them on my sash.
Then we got to go to Camp Sacajawea!  I was a little scared as we pulled up with our troop and saw all these other girls there.  Then we took the long walk to our teepees!  Yes, we got to sleep in teepees for a whole week of camp!  It was so amazing!  I met so many new friends, and I can still remember the peanut butter song we sang! 
It was probably after hearing my stories of camp and mall sleepovers that my daughter had an interest in Girl Scouts.  I was very excited and encouraged her when she wanted to join.  But I have to admit, I was scared when they told me that they had a group of girls in the area waiting for a leader.  They asked if I would be willing to be a leader.  I was scared because I didn’t know anything about leading a group of Girl Scouts.  My only experience had been my own as a girl.  But I decided to try it and I am so glad I did! 
Our troop was 2nd grade Brownies and they were awesome!  This troop came from all different schools so they didn’t know each other.  We started the first meeting talking and getting to know each other and by the end of the meeting we felt like we had known each other for a long time. They were very patient with me and didn’t seem to notice that I didn’t know what I was doing.  We learned the Girl Scout ways together.  The service unit leader was there for support, meetings, and ideas.  I learned a lot about being a Girl Scout leader, and the girls and I learned a lot about being Girl Scouts together.  We bonded throughout the year with some fun activities and sharing. 
We went on some fun trips to the fire department, the police department, the ice cream store tour, and many more adventures.  We just finished our 2nd year as 3rd grade Brownies and the girls have now bridged to Juniors. We celebrated with an overnight stay at a waterpark hotel.   We went down waterslides, splashed, relaxed in the hot tub, ate some pizza, and made some cool fabric bags in the room. We all had so much fun!  It was a great celebration to the end of our 2nd year together!
Over the past two years we have had meetings, made crafts, and gone on trips.  When I ask my daughter what her favorite part of Brownies the past two years have been she said, “Being with my friends.”  She didn’t know these girls before we started this troop two years ago so these are new friendships.  What a wonderful thing that the friendships made are the best part!
I have enjoyed being a part of these girls’ lives and getting to know them.  I have made connections with them and their families that will last a lifetime!  Thank you Girl Scouts for making this possible!
- Melissa Brown
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