Being an ‘older’ Girl Scout is still cool

By Kelcy Dolan
Posted 11/17/15

“I consider the Girl Scouts an extension of my family,” Hailey Ward, a sophomore at Vets High School, said. “These girls are my sisters.”

Hailey has been in the Girl …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Being an ‘older’ Girl Scout is still cool

Posted

“I consider the Girl Scouts an extension of my family,” Hailey Ward, a sophomore at Vets High School, said. “These girls are my sisters.”

Hailey has been in the Girl Scouts for the past 10 years, starting when she was only in kindergarten. Shy as a child, Hailey’s mother and current troop leader Tami Ward wanted to get her daughter involved in something, but Hailey never took to sports or dance. Having been a Girl Scout and loving it growing up, Tami enrolled her daughter.

As years went by, girls dropped out and Hailey would have to switch troops. There were a lot of times Hailey would have to work with new troop leaders and meet new girls. Despite an anxiety disorder, time and time again Hailey chose to continue.

Hailey explained that there is also a lot of outside pressure from other students her age who think for some reason Girl Scouts is “uncool”

“A lot of girls don’t even know it continues; they think it ends after sixth grade,” Hailey said. “When I get excited for a trip or meeting people say ‘you still do that? Isn’t it babyish?’ When you get older, though, it’s not just singing songs around a campfire.”

Throughout the Girls Scouts program, every level becomes a little more individualized and the girls take on more difficult patches, focusing on leadership and life skills they can utilize for the rest of their lives.

After sixth grade, Tami said there is a dramatic dropoff for enrollment because girls can become more interested in dating and dances, but “you still need your girlfriends” who will be there no matter what happens in that part of your life.

Tami said, “Hailey has overcome a lot thanks to Girl Scouts. I can tell it’s done great things for her. I am proud of her for sticking with it. Girl Scouts have helped a lot of girls. It is just the sort of program a lot of girls need and they just don’t know it.”

Currently, Tami and Hailey’s troop, which has six girls, is learning about healthy living and relationships, “what makes a good or bad friendship,” something they feel is very important, especially for girls in high school.

Hailey believes the Girl Scouts have helped to shape who she is today, from helping her learn to love herself, and treat others well.

“I’ve gone through some tough times, but I always knew I could count on Girl Scouts and every week. I could work on improving myself,” she said.

Hailey has plans to continue with the Girl Scouts and eventually go for the Gold Award next year. The Gold Award – “senior project times 20” – is the highest achievement in Girl Scouts and requires a Girl Scout to change their community in such a way that it has a “lasting effect.”

Hailey hopes to create an organization or resource hub that parents and family with children with special needs could turn to when said individual is ageing out of the system.

Similarly, once Hailey is too old for Girl Scouts, the program ends after high school, she hopes to volunteer for the organization and maybe become a troop leader herself one day.

Initially trying to start a troop this year was difficult, but both Tami and Hailey are working to take the stigma away from Girl Scouts that it becomes “uncool” as you age.

All of their members had been involved with Girl Scouts previously. Hailey had reached out to classmates, and some of them said it “wasn’t for them.”

“How can you know if you’ve never tried it,” Hailey said. “I know so many girls my age without any role models and I’ve had so many through Girls Scouts. They just don’t have that and it never hurts to just try Scouts.”

Tami had no trouble finding other women who wanted to volunteer as adult leaders and helpers for the troop.

“It’s so amazing to see these girls learn and work together; it’s awesome,” she said. “We do this because we love it. We want to be a positive force in these girls’ lives and be involved in bettering our community.”

Tami and Hailey’s Troop 302 meet for an hour and a half every Sunday at the First Congregational Church in Oakland Beach. All troop leaders and volunteers are certified and trained to work with the girls.

For more information or to get a girl enrolled contact Tami at tamiw31@gmail.com. For more information on the Girl Scouts or to get enrolled visit www.gssne.org.

MOTHER DAUGHTER TEAM: Tami and Hailey Ward have worked together this year to relieve some of the stigma surrounding older girls being a part of Girl Scouts.

LONG TIME SCOUT: Hailey Ward, a sophomore at Vets High School, has been in the Girl Scouts for 10 consecutive years. She said that fellow Girl Scouts are her extended family and they have helped to shape who she is today.

WEEKEND FUN: Warwick Girl Scout Troop 302 visited a horse farm over the weekend to learn about the care of horses and even got to ride a few. The troop is pictured with one of the horses.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here