Hageman is not one to turn away a prospective girl scout. The more the merrier is her motto.
Newberry said he loves seeing the girls from “Team Alana” out in the community. “She doesn’t travel light—when you see her at community events, it’s not just a few Scouts that show up with her, but all 70 of them,” he said. “We’re all inspired by her.” Going back to the original chal- lenge of getting girls and parents in- volved, Hageman said neither is easy. There’s usually a dip when girls hit middle school age. But the troop does its best to find activities to keep older girls occupied. She and other leaders work hard to keep all parents informed and active. This encourages them to be more in- volved as well as lets everyone know the value of scouting.
Tirzah Curry, council troop sup- port manager, said Hageman is ea- ger to help others. “She’s retired, so is able to pour all of her free time into this, but she’s al- ways willing to mentor other volun- teers, especially new troop leaders, and show them the ropes,” she said. She also is great about inviting Scouts and parents from other area troops to community events. Wardon said parents can have a role in nudging their Scouts or Brown- ies to honor their commitments. “If your kid doesn’t feel like she wants to go to a meeting or an activ- ity, consider pushing them a little to give it another try, or see if they can find another activity they might be into,” she said. “Parents shouldn’t let
their kids give up as easily as they want to sometimes. If they stick to it, they’ll learn more.” Hageman likes the values that Girl Scouts teach: courage, confi - dence and character. Even when a girl ‘ages out,’ they still have the memories, experiences, and values all their life. She’s seen it in her daughters, who continue to be involved in Scouting. “Girl Scouts will always be a safe place for girls, and girls only,” she said. “We are bringing up tomorrow’s leaders.” N
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