Like mother, like daughter

From My Perspective

By Toni Walker

Of all the memories I have from growing up, the ones I think about the most are from my time in Girls Scouts. Now, my girls are following my steps, and have both started Daisy’s this year.

Girl Scouts gives girls an opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, and try new things. On Sunday, I got to watch as my two girls, ages five and seven, participated in Thinking Day. Thinking Day is where girls research one of the many countries that participates in Girl Scouting or Girl Guiding. I watched as my girls told a group of people they had never met about Peru, a country they have come to love, thanks to their Daisy leader, Kelly Holden. My five year old is fascinated with the fact that, in Peru, for special meals, they eat guinea pig!

Not only did my girls tell others about Peru, but they also learned about many other countries, as well. Each group researched a different country, and provided a dish from that country. My girls got to try Marinara sauce (Italy), stew and shortbread (Scotland), rice and beans (Cuba), and Greek salad. Not all of it fit the palate of my girls, who will usually try just about anything once. They did not too much care for the cobnut milk from Fiji, or the marinara sauce from Italy, but they had a good time, and learned about places they may never get to visit.

To see my girls be so excited about being a part of something, knowing that I had just as much excitement at their age, makes me happy. My five year old is chomping at the bits to sale Girl Scout Cookies! That was always one of my favorite times in scouting, as well. I loved making the phone calls and visits it took to sell some of the world’s best cookies. (Yes, I am a little partial, especially to Thin Mints!)

As Thinking Day was coming to a close Sunday, and we stood in the Friendship Circle, like I had done so many times as a girl, and sang the scouting song, I remembered many of my old Scout mates, and our leader, Mrs. Carolyn Woolf, who passed away a few years ago. I loved reminiscing in that few moments. But what I loved even more, was the fact that my girls where right beside me, and that we can now go on this scouting adventure together.