“On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.” Sound familiar?
Though the fond days of sporting a crisp brown skirt, a baby-blue button down, brown knee-highs, and a vest covered with patches are just distant memories from long ago, some Mercy students still keep the Girl Scout Promise close to their hearts.
Junior Jensen Pecora started as a Daisy Scout in Kindergarten and is now finishing her 12th year in scouting.
“I never considered leaving scouts,” said Pecora, “even when the other nine girls in my troop decided not to continue and I was the only one left. I joined a new troop in middle school, and I am still part of that troop today.”
One aspect of scouting that Pecora values most is the opportunity to serve the community. Whether it is bell ringing for the Salvation Army, volunteering at soup kitchens, visiting nursing homes, working with younger troops, or assembling care packages for cancer patients, Pecora has done it all.
“If I could give one piece of advice to a younger Girl Scout,” said Pecora, “I would tell her to make the time to stay with scouting and go for the Gold Award.”
Senior Sierra Holmes has done just that. Holmes has received the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards: the three highest awards of Girl Scouts. Holmes’s Gold Award project, renovating a room at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), which shelters abused women, took over a year to complete.
Although a lot of work goes into Girl Scouts, many fun memories are made along the way.
“Stay in scouting,” said junior Jessica Williams, who is celebrating her 10th year as a Girl Scout. “It’s rewarding, plus you make great friends with the girls you meet.”
William’s fondest moments of scouting include camping, sleeping over at the mall, and simply making valuable friendships.
Although many girls drop out of Girl Scouts in middle school because it is considered “lame”, Holmes found a full proof way to make friends.
“I was never made fun of because, hey, if you wanted the cookies you had to go through me,” said Holmes. “I used my cookie power to get people to back off on the teasing.”
Junior Ally Eads, however, has not been as lucky as Holmes.
“I am made fun of now because most people our age aren’t in Girl Scouts anymore so people don’t believe me when I say I am still in it,” she said.
Regardless, Eads perseveres in her service and encourages younger scouts to stay in scouting.
Similar to Holmes, Eads is also renovating a room at the DRMM for her Gold Award project and will be re-doing the ceiling, painting the walls, inserting carpet, getting new furniture and decorations, as well as re-doing a bathroom connected to the room.
“Definitely stick with it,” said Eads. “Not only does it look good on a college application, but it provides lifelong lessons of service and charity,” she said.