High School Girl Scouts Earn the MISSION: SISTERHOOD! Senior Journey Award Hosting 120 Town of Greenwich Girl Scouts at the YWCA
By Frances Wu Nobay
For more than twenty-five years Greenwich Girl Scouts has hosted an annual evening event at the YWCA Greenwich, engaging local Girl Scouts with games and activities, a pizza dinner, friendship and camaraderie, and in years’ past swimming and a sleepover in the gym. Mary Lee Kiernan, President and CEO of YWCA Greenwich shares, “YWCA Greenwich is a long-time Girl Scout partner. We are delighted to host the next generation of leaders.”
This town-wide event provides an opportunity for Greenwich Girl Scouts who continue to participate through high school to earn their MISSION: SISTERHOOD! Senior Journey Award and build critical leadership and communication skills. Together, the high school Girl Scouts run the evening in its entirety, planning and collaborating for several months in advanc`e to provide a great evening for younger Girl Scouts. The development of leadership and organizational skills are key steps toward the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Anna Mulligan, Greenwich High School sophomore and Girl Scout in Troop 50126 for 10 years, said, “I want this event to be as fun as possible for all of the Girl Scouts.” Her sister, Blair Mulligan, Greenwich High School senior and Girl Scout in Troop 50376 for 13 years, concurred, “Together with middle school and high school Girl Scouts from Greenwich, we planned activities that were enjoyable, educational and had an impact on our community.”
This year’s event, “Frosty Fun Night,” was held on Saturday, February 3 and welcomed over 120 Girl Scouts from Kindergarten to Grade 5. First grade Girl Scout troop leader, Colleen Wood-Smith, remarked that Frosty Fun Night was an, “upbeat, fun and happy event where girls are leaders!”
Girl Scouts of Connecticut CEO Diana Mahoney arrived from Hartford to kick off the evening with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise. Girl Scouts enjoyed pizza by Pizza Post, shrieked in delight petting the creatures from Critter Caravan, learned teamwork though teen-made Minute to Win It games, went retro by becoming a human version of the tabletop game Hungry Hungry Hippos, and cooled off with sweet treats generously donated by Van Leeuwen Ice Cream with toppings from ShopRite Stamford. Girl Scouts also learned more about Girl Scout Cookies, made and exchanged small tokens of friendship, or “Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere” that are often referred to as Girl Scout S.W.A.P.S., and danced to a customized Girl Scout music playlist.
As a charitable component of the event, the Girl Scouts chose to support Filling in the Blanks, a Norwalk, CT non-profit dedicated to fighting childhood hunger. In just three hours, Girl Scouts ambitiously stuffed 1000 snack bags to provide to low income children across Fairfield and Westchester counties. Riona McKersie, sophomore at Greenwich High School and Girl Scout for 10 years, commented, “I was a volunteer at the Filling in the Blanks station, during the Frosty Fun Night event. All of the girls were very energetic and excited to have a community service element as part of the event. They expressed their interest in helping feed kids their own age, and packed several hundred bags as a result. Community service is an important element of Girl Scouts, and I was glad to see that it was incorporated into the night.”
Event volunteers: Lily Bittman, Ella Burchell, Julie Anne Cartine, Annabelle Cosby, Peggy Erlenkotter, Liz FitzRoy, Alexis Guliner, Lynn Gulli, Karen Hasterok, Quinn Hasterok, Lexi Hoenig, Ela Larrea, Briar Lissauer, Georgianna Lissauer, Marc Lissauer, Diana Mahoney, Alexandra Marder, Charlotte Marek, Terra McDonnell, Bill McKersie, Riona McKersie, Elizabeth Montgomery, Anna Mulligan, Blair Mulligan, Lori Mulligan, Niamh O’Donovan, Ava Passamano, Kelly Peck, Carly Sole, Angelina Song, Audrey Walsh, Kerry Xu and Wendy Yu.
All invited to join Greenwich Girl Scouts and the League of Women Voters as they present Women in Government on Sunday, April 7 from 2pm – 4pm at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd, Greenwich, CT 06830. Event is open to the public. Greenwich Girl Scouts seeks federal, state, county, town women in government to lead activities; contact GSofGreenwich@gmail.com.
How to buy Girl Scout Cookies
To find Girl Scout cookies, visit https://www.gsofct.org/en/cookies.html Choose to have a Girl Scout deliver, ship the cookies to yourself or a friend, or buy cookies from an in-person cookie booth. Even if you don’t like cookies, make a donation! Girl Scouts of Connecticut cookie sales end on April 21, 2024; buy today.
About Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. To learn how your G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ can make the world a better place, visit http://www.gsofct.org/join
