For Hageman, troop meetings are all about learning new things and having fun.
goes to work. If we can’t find a troop for someone, we can count on her to say yes.” Hageman’s Girl Scout adventures began more than 50 years ago. She was a Brownie and a Girl Guide, the Canadian version of a Girl Scout. When she and her husband became parents, it was easy to encourage their three boys to join Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and their four girls to become Brownies and Girl Scouts. “We were always busy,” she said. As an active parent, it was easy to take on leadership roles. Be- fore long, she was heading a unit of 12 Brownies. When they moved to North Idaho 15 years ago, she looked for a Brownie group for her preschool-aged daugh-
ter. After talking with other moms, they decided to start their own. “Since I can’t say no, we got one go- ing,” she said. “Today, it’s still ‘if you need help, I can find helpers.’” One of the fellow moms/co-leaders is Missy Wardon. “Alana is an amazing leader. She’s inspired all of us,” she said. “She’s also become a fabulous friend and a shoulder to lean on for the other par- ents as well as the girls.” Wardon started as a Brown- ie leader, then a Daisy leader, then a Brownie leader again. She said Hageman makes sure everyone has a good time, not just the girls. Fundraising is a big part of being a Girl Scout, but the troop makes the process fun, and also shows that
great effort can yield great rewards. Cookie sales, for instance, help pay for summer camp. Other fundraisers lower the cost for other fun trips. The troop sold more than 15,000 boxes of cookies this year, ranking them fifth in the Council in terms of total sales. In the last few years, the troop has traveled to Glacier, Yellowstone, even Costa Rica. “The girls bust their butts to go on these trips, and their fundrais- ing means they don’t have to pay as much,” Wardon said. Hageman has commandeered the family van and trailer for Girl Scouts. It’s always stocked with tents, fish - ing poles and other supplies. Other co-leaders have similarly loaded vans.
SUMMER/FALL 2024 89
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker