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Truckee Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years of scouting

Christy Mond
Special to the Sun
Senior Girl Scouts from left: Betsy Davis, Leanne Davis, Elizabeth Costa, Karlie Mohun, Chelsie Mohun and Helen Bansen take part in a 100th anniversary celebration.
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TRUCKEE, Calif. and#8212; Monday, March 12, more than 100 Truckee Girl Scouts and Leaders gathered to celebrate the centennial birthday of Girl Scouting. Juliette and#8220;Daisyand#8221; Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts, created the organization in 1912. Her purpose was and#8220;to train girls to take their rightful places in life, first as good women, then as good citizens.and#8221;

After leading groups of Girl Guides in the U.K., she formed the first troop of 18 American Girl Guides and#8212; as the Girl Scouts were first known and#8212; on March 12, 1912. Though Low emphasized the domestic skills needed for homemaking and#8212; cooking, running a hygienic kitchen, taking care of sick children and#8212; she also emphasized vocational training, with patches handed out for flying, telegraph skills, typing and farming. From the very beginning there was an emphasis on what we would today call and#8220;career training,and#8221; which was pretty radical and cutting edge in Lowand#8217;s time. To commemorate the occasion, the Truckee Scouts, led by co-service unit chairs, Ursula Riina and Cindy Bansen, held a birthday party at Alder Creek Middle School Cafetorium. They skyped and sang with troops across the nation, who were doing the same. A good time was had by all who attended.

Today, there are 3.2 million active Girl Scouts, ages 5 to 18, nationwide. Girls are still awarded patches for first aid know-how, but nowadays theyand#8217;re also learning the importance of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which would certainly live up to Lowand#8217;s standards.



Graduating Truckee High School senior Karlie Mohun will head to Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego after graduation, where she plans to study bio chemistry and theatre. and#8220;Girl scouting has taught me how to be responsible for myself and make good decisions for my future,and#8221; she said.

Betsy Davis, another THS senior, said her girl scouting experience and#8220;taught her a sense of community and how to get along in a group.and#8221; These skills will aide her as she embarks on a career in the United States Marine Corp. Davis will be stationed in Parris City, SC for her basic training after graduation.



Helen Bansen, another THS graduating senior, waits to hear from UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis about acceptance, and feels her girl scouting experience and#8220;has given me a sense of self-respectand#8221; and helped where public speaking is concerned.

For 100 years, Girl Scouts has been building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Providing fun, motivational programing is at the heart of Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout program utilizes themes of leadership and self-development enabling girls to reach their full potential and prepare themselves for challenges that lie ahead. Todayand#8217;s Girl Scouts are tomorrowand#8217;s leaders. For more information, contact serviceunit631@hotmail.com.

and#8212; Submitted to aedgett@sierrasun.com


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