Last year, my Girl Scout troop helped put together a little food drive at their school. I was exceptionally proud of them and blogged about it. Yesterday, we went back to their old elementary school and helped out with this year’s drive.
We partnered with the same troop as last year, with their troop taking the lead this time around. They made the posters and morning announcements reminding their schoolmates to bring in donations. This year we had a third troop join us in the job of sorting and packing the donations.
I love that as each one of the girls walked in that cafeteria yesterday, the first thing each one of them said was “What can I do?”. Give them a little bit of direction and every last one of them was off and running. They worked together well and it’s oh, so good to watch that in action.
Just like last year, the recipients of the drive are families within that elementary school community. This year though, I think my girls had a little bit better understanding of exactly what that meant.
The best part though was seeing an idea I had summer before last take root and grow. I might be the slackest Girl Scout troop leader out there – I’ve been told by our local Girl Scout council that I’m “robbing the girls of the true Girl Scout experience” because we don’t sell cookies. We also don’t do a whole lot of crafts, we’ve never been camping (we do have plans to do that this year though, maybe), heck, from about March through the end of the school year every year those girls campaign to throw out whatever the plan is and just go run around and play on the playground outside and I let them. Slacker or not, I came up with a pretty kick ass service project that other troops have not only joined in, but continued with. It grew.
I’m damn proud of that.
Chicken Wire & Paper Flowers 
Actually, you sound like the kind of girl-scout leader I would actually like. I'm not a big fan of that organization, especially the competing-to-sell-the-most part.
Should that camping trip ever come true let me know I want to go!
Would that every legacy is as beneficial and fun as yours!
PS Thanks for stopping by my blog. My first reaction to your comment was “YAY, I am not alone!” And the next was a big laugh.
You're my kind of GS leader. Way to go!