Scouting

Hitting second grade when I was seven was a very exciting time for me.  I was going to make my First Communion and I was joining the Brownies, the youngest level of Girl Scouting at the time.  The First Communion thing turned out pretty well because I got my first two-wheeler, a 20" blue Schwinn.  But I took to Scouting like a fish to water.  I loved everything about it.

I  love to talk to the young Scouts selling cookies this time of year.  I first met this family several weeks ago and I fell in love with these kids.  The little tyke is a Daisy Scout, the other a Brownie.  I always encourage girls to stick with it for the long haul and share some of the things I liked about Scouting,  like learning to tie a square knot.  To this day, when tying two things together I chant as I'm doing it:  'right over left then under. Left over right then under'.

I asked the girls if they had a Girl Scout manual.  I didn't have a uniform and used recycled sashes for my badges but my Troop Leader made sure I had a manual.  These girls didn't.  I got their information and went about trying to find one for them.  

Surprisingly, they really haven't existed for the last couple of generations of Scouts. Go figure. What would Juliette Low say???!!!  I eventually found one, last published in 1961 on an antiques site.  That was the year I joined. (OMG!  I'm an antique!)  I bought it with the intention of sending it to my new friends.

I hadn't yet mailed it but since I saw them today  I drove home, grabbed the book and headed back, hoping they'd still be there.  They were thrilled to get it along with the note I stuck inside.  The only thing I asked was to take their picture.  They then took one of me with their girls.  I loved every second of it.  Then I bought even more cookies.