Happy 100th Birthday Girl Scouts!

For a several months I've been trying to wrap my head around this:  I've been a Girl Scout for 50 years.  That's half the life of the organization.  Wow.  I'm now the Training Peep for my area Service Unit, and I've been spending more time with troops lately!  I really miss being with kids when I'm home.  I'm up to my eyeballs in kids at Yellowstone, but since my sons are now young adults, running amuck with the little tykes has been missing in my life.  I think I've found my new at-home niche.

And what a grand time to re-up with the group that shaped so much of who I am now. All over the country today, and in many parts of the world, Girl Scouts are getting together in Promise Circles, Sing-a-longs, and Scouts' Own to celebrate the fun of being a girl and a Girl Scout.  In Savannah Georgia, Julliette Gordon Low's hometown, there are ceremonies and parties galore today.

Here in my Service Unit, we held a Scouts' Own and Sing-a-long at a historic movie theater on Saturday.  I was privileged to be the MC of this deal.  It's what I do, after all.  I found a Promise and Law Candle ceremony and found girls to be the readers.  While they were reading, I had a PowerPoint program going that coordinated with each part.  After this solemn part, it was time to start the singing!  We sang some oldies but goodies, and some new songs including one called Ignite which was written for the Rock the Mall event in June in DC. (I sooooo wanna be on that stage!!!  Don't you think they need a singing Ranger/Girl Scout from Yellowstone National Park as part of the act?  If I had any clue how to get a gig in the form of a detail from NPS, I'd be there in a heart beat!!!!!) The biggest hit of the afternoon was probably a 'song' called Chicka Boom.  It's a nonsense thing and each time we 'sing' it, we take on a different persona.  I do the usual versions, like super loud, then in a whisper, under water, and then I sort of let the kids shout out suggestions.... this time we did the Queen, Valley Girls, Elvis, and Scooby Do.  I never know what the kids will throw at me. It's not much of a song, but it is a ton of fun!

Maumee Indoor Theater

Dancing in the aisles!

More spontaneous dancing!

We ended by having all the girls sit together in the center section, and we grown-ups circled them and held hands, creating our own version of a Promise Circle.  We promised the girls that we would lead them and love them, no matter what.  In return they recited the Girl Scout Promise and Law for us.  Win win.

On my honor, I will try

to serve God and my country,

to help people at all times, 

and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.