Written by Rosemarie Mello | 03 February 2010

Harpswell builds girls with courage, confidence and character. Harpswell has twenty-one girls enrolled in Girl Scouts this year. Membership is open to all girls who make the Girl Scout Promise and accept the Girl Scout Law. With enthusiasm troop leaders guide girls into tomorrow. Debbie Cornish and Melody Turcotte lead eleven girls in Brownie troop #1276. Vickie McGlauflin and Donnette Goodenow lead ten girls in Junior troop #3808. These troops are determined by grade level and set their goals appropriately. Brownies are second and third graders while Juniors are fourth and fifth graders. They all have ambition, a dream and a goal. To help meet these goals, Girl Scouts need the sale of cookies.
Girl Scout Cookies have been part of our American culture for more than 80 years. During the month of January Girl Scouts promoted and accepted orders for cookies. Didn't get an order in? You still have a chance to purchase your yearly supply during a booth sale between mid February and mid March. The price per box is $3.50. All proceeds generated from the cookie sale stay within the girls local program. Be sure to purchase from troop #1276 and #3808 during booth sales to support our Harpswell girls. The Brownie troop will have a booth set up at the Harpswell Town Meeting in March. A Girl Scout motto is to "be prepared," they'll be prepared with plenty of delicious mouth watering cookies. They ask for your support and hope you will purchase plenty of boxes, as Girl Scout Cookies freeze well.
How will the proceeds help our local girls? Proceeds from cookie sales purchase sashes, badges and books. They help pay for trips to learn other cultures and camping to learn self endurance. They allow the girls to do projects of sharing in the community to experience the necessity of hope. It teaches them to acknowledge their surroundings and as a team develop and implement a strategy.
The Brownie's are currently working on "Eat right stay healthy", "Healthy Habits" and "Money Sense" badges. They will be sponsoring an appreciation dinner for the local firefighters and EMT's in February. The Brownies are collecting aluminum tabs for Ronald McDonald House to help families stay close together during a medical challenge. They have also adopted a female soldier through Soldiers' Angels.
The Junior's are currently working on "Girl Scouts of USA", "Frosty Fun", "First Aid" and "Earth Connections" badges together and they are working on individual badges too. They are planning and participating in a winter carnival along with other Harpswell scout troops. Additionally they are learning how to fold a flag and will learn how to do the colors in a flag ceremony. Their goal is a trip to Boston in the spring if cookie sale goals are met.
The girls experienced the rewards of caring during the holiday season. The Juniors created a Thanksgiving Day Basket which was donated to the Midcoast Hunger Prevention for a family in need. Brownies enjoyed Christmas caroling while they delivered hand made gifts to the elderly.
Girl Scouts harmonize with nature and try to experience the outdoors as much as possible. Juniors spent a weekend camping and hiking at Camden Hills State Park last fall while Brownies plan to participate in a camping trip to Camp Chewonki in the spring.
Girl Scouts meet once a week at the scout hall when school is in session. Meetings take place during the school year, though you may see Girl Scouts participating in activities all year long.
There's always a need for leaders. Daisies are a troop that's non-existent this year. Daisies consist of kindergarten and first graders. Harpswell Island girls currently have not joined any troops this year. It would be a wonderful gift if they could be bussed to the scout hall. If you or if you know of someone who would like to participate in Girl Scouts as a scout, scout leader or as an assistant volunteer, you may contact your local Girl Scout Council. Please support our local Girl Scouts and help develop our young girls of today into distinguished ladies of tomorrow.