Girl Scouts and the Neverending Giving Season

For my regular readers, last week’s column discussed a Junior Girl Scout troop from Park View Elementary whose generosity extended beyond the troop’s time together. This week's column will focus on a similar troop from Forest Glen Elementary, who disbanded at the end of the school year. I'm sure their selflessness will improve the community for years to come.

Troop 726 consisted of 13 community-conscious girls who met at least once a week: Meghan Buechner, Sophia Coronelli, Olivia Demeris, Payton Esposito, Erika Freund, Audrey Kief, Avery Kiker, Allie Maltby, Nicole Mattson, Miranda Miscinski, Samantha Moody, Annike Strauch, and Catherine Trant.

With moms at the helm, the girls pursued their mission to enhance the community and learn daily.

Most Girl Scout troops fundraise by holding the annual cookie sale, while some troops participate in the Fall Product Sale that offers nuts and chocolates. Troop 726 participated in both of these programs. With extra money left over from the fundraisers, they decided that they wanted to give something back to the school that gave them so much.

The girls decided to spend the money on a tree for everyone to enjoy, which will be planted at Forest Glen Elementary. 

“They chose not to buy something for themselves, but to give in some way back to the community,” said troop leader Anne Trant. “They can visit the tree for years to come!”

The girls have been together since kindergarten -- that’s seven full years of activities, learning, giving, and friendship-building. They prepared and cooked a meal for their own families at Pina’s Culinary Experience in Roselle, and they created Pringle can time capsules with “special information and love," and promised to meet again in 8th grade to open the capsules. 

“The girls learned about community and participated in life skills at every meeting,” said Trant. Over the years, Troop 726 decorated windows in downtown Glen Ellyn for Halloween, learned about different teas, planted flowers for their families, took cooking and sewing lessons, and assembled nutrition packets for children in developing countries. In addition to these activities, the troop provided each girl with $10 for the holidays. They were told they could spend or donate the funds any way they liked, they just had to report back on how they spent the money. Unsurprisingly for this troop, each member came back and said the money was spent on a family member or donated to a food drive, church, or charity.

Even though the holidays have passed, perhaps we can all take a page from Troop 726's book and do a little more for our community --whether we're on our own or surrounded by our best friends.