Girl Scouts: It?s about more than just cookies

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

In the Girl Scouts, it?s not all about the cookies, which are on sale for only six to eight weeks out of the year. For local Girl Scouts, Zoe and Breeana Runyon, of the Hillsboro troop, and other Scouts like them, the organization is about friends, fun and finding yourself year after year.

This week, the Runyon sisters, along with Girls Scouts across the nation, will celebrate the Girl Scouts? 104th birthday on Saturday, March 12, to reflect on how the Scouts have impacted their lives, and is shaping the future of young girls near and far.

?You really develop as a person through Girl Scouts,? insists Zoe, who, along with her sister, has been participating in the Scouts for eight years. ?It brings out your personality, especially when you are doing service projects and working together as a troop, or with other Girl Scouts.?

Breanna adds that for her, being a Girl Scout has been a tremendous addition to her resume and will help her gain scholarships for college, an important bonus as the twin sisters are both now freshman in high school.

According the girls? mother and unit leader, Rhonda Runyon, Girl Scouts have certainly helped her girls develop confidence and leadership skills, but insists the best aspect of being a Girl Scout is unique for every girl.

?Each troop is centered around the girls, and every girl can really choose the types of activities and projects within that troop that they want to be involved with,? said Rhonda. ?It allows for individuality, which is important for girls to develop, I think.?

For volunteer leaders like Rhonda and Dawn Hixson, a Girl Scouts service unit director for Henry County, Girl Scouts is a work of love. And both women insist that their desire to enrich the lives of young girls is why they enjoy volunteering their time to Girl Scouts.

?I never got the opportunity to be a Girl Scout when I was younger, and I really wished that I had been able to,? says Hixson. ?And, when my two daughters were old enough to join Girl Scouts, there wasn?t a troop at that time for their age group. So, I just decided to start a troop myself, and it?s been so much fun.?

According to the Girl Scouts? official website, there are currently 2.7 million girls currently involved in a Girl Scout troop. Girl Scouts range in age from age five to age 18. In Henry County, there are 14 active Girl Scout troops.

And while cookie sales are among the most notable activities that Girl Scouts participate in, local Girl Scouts like the Runyon sisters take park in weekend-long camping trips, volunteer with local organizations, and participate in team-building activities with other local troops, among other philanthropic activities year-round.

For the Runyon sisters, they say they are thankful for volunteers like Rhonda and Hixson who have donated their time to make being a Girl Scout a reality for young girls across the country. And although they know their years as a Girl Scout will someday draw to a close, they both insist they don?t ever intend to leave the Girl Scouts for good.

?I love Girl Scouts, and it?s made an impact on both of us,? says Breanna. ?So, if when I finish Girl Scouts and there is a need for someone to lead a troop, I would do it. I think what we have both learned from Girl Scouts is important and we would definitely pass that on to other Girl Scouts.?

To find one of the 14 troops in the Henry County community or for more information about joining a local troop, visit www.girlscouts.org, or call Hixson at 319-217-0826.