WORTHINGTON -- Women of all ages will celebrate 97 years of Girl Scouts in the United States starting Monday, when Girl Scout Week begins.
"They're demonstrating they're learning courage and competence and building character," said Tammy McCarthy of Worthington, Girl Scout Leader of Troop 30076.
Girl Scouts is open to all girls from kindergarten to 12th grade and offers young women opportunities to socialize, try new activities and perform a variety of community service projects.
"It's getting girls to do things that a lot of times, they probably wouldn't even try," McCarthy said. For example, she said, students whose families don't go camping get to give camping a try through Girl Scouts. One girl who had never been to Valley Fair visited it with her Girl Scout troop.
Scouting can also broaden the social world of young women as girls who normally wouldn't interact during school hours gather and interact during Girl Scout meetings.
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"It builds their confidence and gets them to try things, and it gets them out there looking at their local community and donating time to service projects," McCarthy said.
Her troop delivers bananas to each person living in Okabena Towers every year on May 1, wishing the residents a happy May Day. Another group purchased extra Girl Scout cookies this year and donated them to veterans in Luverne.
Girl Scouts has a long history of community service, education and fun, starting from its founding in 1912, when girls had fewer opportunities to decide what to do with their lives. Founder Juliette Gordon Low encouraged girls to prepare not only for traditional female roles but also for active citizenship, leadership and professional careers.
outs and be a part of it," McCarthy said. "We're always looking for more volunteers to help with guiding the girls. There's different areas you can help out with -- day camp, cookies, or being a leader or co-leader."
Anyone interested in purchasing extra Girl Scout cookies can still call 372-2544 to order them.
Girls or volunteer helpers interested in joining Girl Scouts should call Marcia Liapis, the local Service Unit Manager, at (507) 727-6901.
