Community service, fitness part of experience for Raleigh Girl Scout troop
The ten girls of Troop 896 in north Raleigh have been together since kindergarten. And their leaders, three of their moms, are working year round to help keep it running.
Posted — UpdatedA flier with information about a new Girl Scout troop in their kindergarten folders started it all.
Nine years later, the girls of Girl Scout Troop 896 in north Raleigh are working toward their Silver Award. And their leaders, three of their moms, are working year round to help keep it all running.
The troop contacted me a couple of months ago after I wrote about local daddy-daughter dances. They were organizing a community dance and book drive for WakeMed, which was a couple of weeks ago. I'd been wanting to feature moms who led a Girl Scout troop. So I was excited to hear from them.
In Troop 896, it's Michelle Blau who got it started years ago. Her fellow leaders, Kelly Graham and Dawn Wood, joke that she's a Girl Scout "lifer." She's pretty much been involved in Girl Scouts all her life.
Blau, Graham and Wood told me that Girl Scouts has opened doors for their girls, allowing them to be exposed to all kinds of different experiences. They've done everything from fish and clean the coins in the fountains at Triangle Town Center to give to the SPCA to film a music video for local elementary schools on going green. They train together to run a 5K each year. And they've camped and participated in other special events.
What I find remarkable about the troop is that these ten girls, now eighth graders, have stayed together. In this transient world where it's often difficult to maintain personal connections for long, they've managed it. Some have moved to different schools. One even moved to China for a few years. But they've all stayed together.
"It's the one thing that will remain constant," Graham said.
And it's allowed the moms to stay in touch with what's going on in their daughters lives, something that can get more difficult to do as they get older.
"It's a really good way to stay in touch with our girls," Graham said. "If they don't tell us, they'll tell her or tell her," she said, turning to Blau and Wood.
Hear more from the moms and girls of Troop 896 in the video.
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