Girl Scout Daisies make a difference in Wayne County
Girl Scout Daisies are kindergarteners and first graders who meet in a nurturing, inclusive environment under the direction of a group leader. According to Girl Scouts Central, Daisies should go on trips, learn about nature and science and explore the arts and their communities.And since last year, a group of these young scouts is exploring Wayne County. In Daisies, the girls learn to serve the community while having fun in a social setting.
"We started it last year at Northwestern Elementary with 11 girls and this year I have 27. They are 5, 6 and 7-year-olds," said Valerie Booth, troop leader.
The little girls are taking big strides in community activism while improving their social skills, she explained.
"People think that we only sell cookies, but there are a lot of things troops go out and do," she said. "You have to get your troops out there doing things in the community."
And this troop is getting out there. For their last project, the girls held a spaghetti dinner to benefit a troop member's aunt, who has cancer. The scouts constructed hand-made raffle baskets and cards for the cause, both to raise spirits and to raise funds for medical bills. For this act, the girls earned the Being a Sister to Every Girl Scout Petal.
"They have little vests and I get them patches for everything they do and it's such a big deal," explained Booth. "You'd think you're giving them a million dollars."
Girl Scout Daisies earn Learning Petals and receive participation patches for their good deeds. The girls of Northwestern Elementary are well on their way to earning a whole vest of petals as they have many more good deeds in the works, including visits to local nursing homes, donations of stuffed animals, recycling drives and blanket drives.
The service unit is also engaged in a food drive. The scouts and their leaders collect food at football games and at elementary schools, middle schools and high schools throughout the area.
"At the end of it, on the 22nd, which is Girl Scout Make A Difference Day, they're going to get together and sort it and disperse it to all the local food banks and charities," said Booth.
But all this service work isn't only for a few petals on a vest, explained Booth. When she asked her troop what they would like to do with the $1,000 from their cookie sales, the girls chose to make blankets for sick kids and babies at the hospital.
"If you give them this opportunity, the things that come out of their mouth are things you would never think they would do," said Booth, who expected to take the kids bowling or have a pizza party with the cookie money. "It's very rewarding as an adult to give them that forum where they can come together and make a difference."
In addition to serving the community, Girl Scout Daisies is about having fun. The girls just finished their fall festival and plan on ice-skating this winter. To kick off the big cookie sale, the girls will have a cookie rally where they will learn to manage money and to be safe while selling. These activities teach the girls social skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.
"[Daisies] makes them strong. It teaches them that girls can do anything they want to do. It teaches them that everybody has a worth and it's not so much about money or looks," she said.
In addition to projects and petals, food drives and fall fests, the girls get to be part of a close-knit group of friends, something that the scouts will remember for a lifetime. "It's only $12 a year to be a member of girl scouts and the benefits you get out of it are worth a million dollars. To see my troop grow the way it has is worth more money than I'll ever have," said Booth.
To learn more about Girl Scouts visit http://www.gsohiosheartland.org/ or contact Valerie Booth at 330-201-6457.