Millstone girls celebrate scouting around the world

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

At left, Niya Klayman, 8, of Girl Scout Troop 1765, represents Denmark during Girl Scouts World Thinking Day held in Millstone Township's Elementary School on March 4. Above, Jenna Johnston (l-r), 11, and Brittany Postglione, 10, watch as Jenna Pluchino, 7, and Alexandra Sosa, 6, shoot marbles. Below, Girl Scout Brownies and Daisies line up to represent different countries. Local Girl Scouts became a part of something larger than themselves on Saturday.

Millstone Township Girl Scouts participated in World Thinking Day at the Millstone Township Elementary School. The event marks a day when all members of the World Association of Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) everywhere remember each other and reaffirm their commitment to international friendship and understanding.

"World Thinking Day gets all of the Girl Scouts around the world thinking about each other and celebrating all of the different cultures," said Kathy Manickas, a former Girl Scout who now acts as a leader.

The Millstone Township Girl Scouts, consisting of 377 registered Scouts, 110 registered adults and 83 leaders, could have celebrated the day in a number of different ways, but decided to hold a community celebration. In preparation for the day, Scouts collaborated to create displays that related information about numerous countries around the world.

In honor of America's Girl Scout history, Sally Maloney, an active Girl Scout counselor for the past 14 years, walked around the event dressed as Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the United States Girl Scouts.

Girl Scout Kaitlyn Kohlhepp described Low's life and accomplishments.

"Born in Savannah, Ga., Low went to Scotland where in a castle she met Lord Baden-Powell, who created the Boy Scouts," Kohlhepp said. "That's where she got the idea to start the Girl Scouts in the United States."

When asked what she would say if she had the opportunity to meet the late Low today, Kohlhepp said, "I would thank her for making the Girl Scouts what it is, a fun group of good friends."

PHOTOSBY SCOTT PILLING staff The Scouts had worked on their presentations for World Thinking Day since August. Each troop had to select a country, research it, create a flag and develop a display.

Wearing gold headbands, long, flowing prairie skirts and shawls, Lacey Magee, 11, Brittany Johnston, 10, and Jenna Postiglione, 11, all of Troop 646, enticed passersby to play the Turkish game of marbles at their booth.

Amid the excitement in the game of chance, the girls spoke about the differences between American and Turkish clothing.

"I don't really like this clothing," Magee said. "It's a little itchy, and my head is all covered up."

Besides how they dress, Postiglione said that during her research, she noticed other differences between Girl Scouts in America and those in Turkey.

"In Turkey, you can be a Scout until you're 21," Postiglione said. "And, although I'm called a Junior Scout here, I would be a Brownie there at this [same] age."

At her booth, Brianna Lisi, of Troop 507, talked about the differences between Scouts in the United States and those in the Bahamas.

"Here we have Daisies, and there they have Sunflowers," Lisi said. "There they have Rangers, and here we have leaders."

In dress, Lisi said both organizations are similar except that in the Bahamas Scouts wear crossovers, which are like sashes, instead of vests.

At the Iceland display, many people were gathered around to take part in Troop 445's simulated ice-fishing experience. As kids pulled on twine amid cotton to retrieve bright-colored objects, Caroline Tachuk, 10, said Girl Scouts in Iceland hold a large popular jamboree every year.

Caroline Petroff, 11, said she found herself a little jealous of a holiday called Bun Day in Iceland.

"During our research," Petroff said, "we found out about Bun Day, when little kids use a wand to wake their parents up.

"If it takes two taps, they get two buns," she said. "If they wake their parents up in three taps, they get three buns. It sounds like fun."

Other Scouts at the event explained various other differences among the world's scouting organizations. Guatemala Scouts focus on nutritional importance and education. The Netherlands Scouts have a Sea Scouting Branch and encourage girls with disabilities to join their units. Girl Guiding in India has a World Association Center in Sangam that has brought together Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists, Christians, Jews and many others.

Despite their differences, Girl Scouts around the world share the same Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout Law, which basically encourage serving others, according to Diana Kohlhepp, a troop leader.

Courtney Minetti, 14, and Karla Armstrong, 14, both of Troop 952, exemplified the Girl Scout Promise during the ceremony by helping collect food donations for the township's senior citizen organization.

Minetti said she joined the Girl Scouts in the first grade as a way to help others.

"I have so much fun helping people," Minetti said, "and if you do it as a troop, it's easier and you're not all by yourself."

Throughout the year, Millstone Township Girl Scouts volunteer to provide various community services including collecting food for the needy, collecting magazines and coloring books for the waiting rooms of local hospitals, and spending time with local senior citizens.

Janelle Whitfield, of Troop 155, said one of her favorite community service projects was working on the township's Project Helping Our People Everyday (HOPE), which entailed collecting food and accessories for a storage trailer that families can use in the event of an emergency.

Lisi said she especially likes hands-on work with others in the community.

"My favorite activity was cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the seniors of our community," Lisi said.

Mayor Nancy Grbelja, who attended the event, said the local Girl Scouts also help out during the community cleanup.

"Participating in Girl Scouts develops character traits that last a lifetime," Grbelja said.

Grbelja, who is a former Girl Scout herself, attributed the leadership lessons she learned in scouting to helping her achieve the accomplishment of becoming Millstone's first female mayor.

When addressing the crowd gathered to watch the flag ceremony portion of World Thinking Day, Grbelja said, "This room is filled with our future leaders. We may have the next U.S. president here."