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The girls in Girl Scout Troop No. 26734 have a lot of fun. They spend their time during troop meetings doing typical Girl Scout activities — arts and crafts, learning to cook and sew, and, of course, giggling.
“We get to learn tons of new things, like how to sew,” said 10-year-old Madison Worley. “We’re working on our tutus right now.”
But the Girl Scouts of today aren’t just about learning homemaking skills. In fact, they spend a lot of their time in the community, helping out anywhere they can.
According to Anne Hyde, marketing and public relations specialist for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, the goal of Girl Scouts is to provide experience and leadership to girls so they can make a difference.
“One of the things that’s unique about our program is that it’s really proactive,” said Hyde. “We try to help girls build up a really good sense of self, a good set of life skills and business skills that they can use.
“We want to help them so they can have the strength and sense of character to stand up for themselves and what they think can be done in their community.”
In Carthage, Troop No. 26734 has done more than its share of community service. The girls collected canned goods for a food drive at the Salvation Army. They bought presents for needy girls at one of the local churches. They picked up trash for walkers during this year’s Relay For Life.
And later this month, the girls will help serve and feed guests at Carthage Crisis Center during their annual Christmas dinner.
“We get to help the community,” said 9-year-old Emma Mettice.
“Some people are needy, and we help them by doing canned food drives and stuff,” said Tatum Schultz, 9. “Then they can be healthy and happy.”
Hyde said that sense of helping the community stems from a sense of leadership, and that’s what Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland tries to instill in its troops.
“We use United Way funding to support the Girl Scout leadership experience,” she said. “The overarching thing we offer is the best leadership experience in this area.”
GSMH offers Girl Scout experiences in 68 counties in central and southern Missouri, as well as some counties in Oklahoma and Kansas. The organization supports about 2,000 troops, which comprise about 16,000 girls and 6,000 adults.
The organization also facilitates about 200 different learning programs each year, which it makes available throughout its coverage area. The programs are planned by staff and executed through the help of community collaborators, theaters, museums, schools and churches throughout Missouri. The programs offer girls the opportunity to learn new things as well as spend time with other girls their age.
The girls in Girl Scout Troop No. 26734 have a lot of fun. They spend their time during troop meetings doing typical Girl Scout activities — arts and crafts, learning to cook and sew, and, of course, giggling.
“We get to learn tons of new things, like how to sew,” said 10-year-old Madison Worley. “We’re working on our tutus right now.”
But the Girl Scouts of today aren’t just about learning homemaking skills. In fact, they spend a lot of their time in the community, helping out anywhere they can.
According to Anne Hyde, marketing and public relations specialist for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, the goal of Girl Scouts is to provide experience and leadership to girls so they can make a difference.
“One of the things that’s unique about our program is that it’s really proactive,” said Hyde. “We try to help girls build up a really good sense of self, a good set of life skills and business skills that they can use.
“We want to help them so they can have the strength and sense of character to stand up for themselves and what they think can be done in their community.”
In Carthage, Troop No. 26734 has done more than its share of community service. The girls collected canned goods for a food drive at the Salvation Army. They bought presents for needy girls at one of the local churches. They picked up trash for walkers during this year’s Relay For Life.
And later this month, the girls will help serve and feed guests at Carthage Crisis Center during their annual Christmas dinner.
“We get to help the community,” said 9-year-old Emma Mettice.
“Some people are needy, and we help them by doing canned food drives and stuff,” said Tatum Schultz, 9. “Then they can be healthy and happy.”
Hyde said that sense of helping the community stems from a sense of leadership, and that’s what Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland tries to instill in its troops.
“We use United Way funding to support the Girl Scout leadership experience,” she said. “The overarching thing we offer is the best leadership experience in this area.”
GSMH offers Girl Scout experiences in 68 counties in central and southern Missouri, as well as some counties in Oklahoma and Kansas. The organization supports about 2,000 troops, which comprise about 16,000 girls and 6,000 adults.
The organization also facilitates about 200 different learning programs each year, which it makes available throughout its coverage area. The programs are planned by staff and executed through the help of community collaborators, theaters, museums, schools and churches throughout Missouri. The programs offer girls the opportunity to learn new things as well as spend time with other girls their age.
“It’s a great place for them to have kind of a goals-only environment, to be with their peers and be in a safe and supportive environment,” said Hyde. “That helps girls, just being there with other girls. It helps them gain the strength and encouragment to do something that they may have been scared to do before.
“That kind of peer support is a really great thing to see.”
Carthage has several Girl Scout troops available for local girls to join. GSMH also accepts new troop formations, as well. The formation of a troop requires two non-related adult volunteers, each of whom undergo background checks and reference processes before being approved for leadership.
To find a local troop in your area, or to register a new troop, contact GSMH at its Springfield office at 877-312-4764 or its Joplin office at 417-623-8277.
