As parents we’re always looking for quality extra curricular programs for our kids. Enter the Girl Scouts; the largest girl led organization in the world! As a Girl Scout, girls have opportunities to do so much; camping, STEM, travel, hiking, sewing, volunteering in the community and so many more girl-led activities. Girls from kindergarten to seniors in high school can be Girl Scouts, it’s never too late to join! Lucky for us, Jacksonville is part of the largest council in Florida and troops are constantly forming or adding new members.
This past July my daughters and I were able to attend the National Girl Scout Convention in Orlando. The National Convention is an event that is held at a new location every three years. Girl Scouts from around the country and the world gather together for meetings, National Council sessions, friendship, SWAPS, learning and endless opportunities. Both of my daughters have been Girl Scouts since they were in Kindergarten, and I have been a leader for six years, and was also a Girl Scout as a youth. I had never experienced a convention before but I was so happy for the opportunity to attend with my daughters.
Girl Scouts is More than Cookies
My troop loves to attend camporees and Aquatics weekend every year at our council’s Camp Kateri. The girls spend the weekend learning water skills like kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and also archery. Last year we spent the night at an Air Force museum in Savannah, and Wonderworks in Orlando. We met with female marine biologists, pilots, EMT flight responders, artists and chefs. We’ve walked in parades, sponsored families for the holidays, collected blankets for local shelters, sang carols at nursing homes and attended theatre shows together. The opportunities are endless. So many things my girls have experienced they simply would not have if it wasn’t for Girl Scouts.
But There are Also Cookies
Yes we sell cookies too! Yes, Girl Scout cookies are delicious, but selling cookies serves a purpose. The money raised from sales funds our troop activities and covers membership for our girls after the first year. Truly it’s amazing what a cookie can do. Cookies fund our adventures but Girl Scouts are so much more than selling cookies. The friendships, mentors, experiences and leadership skills gained are priceless.
If you have daughters or know of a girl in your life that may benefit from the Girl Scout experience, joining is so easy via the Girl Scout website. You can search for a troop with their Troop Search feature, or join and a representative will reach out to you. Joining a troop is a great way to make friends, for your daughters and yourself!
Jillian Gishler is a New Englander at heart. Born in Jacksonville Beach, she grew up in Massachusetts but was beckoned back to Florida by Mickey Mouse for a Disney World Internship. She returned to the beach in 2005 after graduating from Florida State. Ten years ago she opened her handmade & vintage collective shop, Sew Vicious, in Neptune Beach. Jillian raises chickens, is a passionate gardener, a DIYer, a thrift store junkie, a deal loving mama, and has several inspirational travel journals available on Amazon. She leads her daughters Girl Scout Troop, teaches sewing at a local Montessori School, and is a Parents Who Lead Alumni. She loves surprising her husband and daughters with mini-vacations around the Sunshine State.
