Outdoor Fun with the Girl Scouts
This past spring, Madison-Harding Girl Scouts of all ages headed outdoors for many fun-filled activities.
Traditionally, the sixth-grade Cadette troops host a roller skating day for Girl Scouts and their families. This year, though, the troops decided to plan the first outdoor movie night at the end of April. As the sun set, more than 40 Girl Scouts and their families set up chairs in the Madison Community Pool parking lot to enjoy popcorn, raffles, and a movie. Each Girl Scout received a “Movie Night” fun patch for her uniform.
In May, in addition to Girl Scouts who helped beautify their school grounds, Troop 98057, the second-grade Brownie troop from St. Vincent Martyr School, organized a May Day clean-up at Cole Park. They pulled weeds, spread mulch, and spruced up the flower beds and rocks in the Kindness Garden. The Kindness Garden, which was started as part of a Girl Scout Silver Award project several years ago, consists of a colorful bench surrounded by rocks painted by local adults and children with inspiring messages and fun drawings.
“It was satisfying for the girls to see their work actually make a difference,’ says leader, Margaret Marques, “transforming a space in the park that needed attention and beautifying it to restore its original look and feel.”
June included two outdoor family events. The Me & My Guy in the Great Outdoors event took place at Summerhill Park in Madison. Girl Scouts and their guys enjoyed an afternoon of hiking, making s’mores and crafts, playing games, and learning knot tying and compass orienteering skills.
The fifth-grade troops worked together to plan a Me & My Gal Hike for all levels of Girl Scouts. Participants hiked the Hemlock Falls loop, a 1.7-mile trail in South Mountain Reservation near Maplewood.
Troops are gearing up to bring more great experiences this year. For more information about Madison-Harding Girl Scouts, visit gsmadisonharding.com or contact gsmadisonharding@gmail.com
