Local Girl Scouts Looking for Members and Leaders
By Regina Elling

Girl Scouts visit the Grand Canyon last year. Photos Courtesy of Trice Klauber

The Girl Scouts may be looking for you. Especially if you are a young girl looking for fun, friends and adventure.

Trice Klauber, troop organizer/consultant for the Manzanita Service Unit, said: "Our area includes Julian, Warner Springs, Santa Ysabel and Borrego. But we are down to just four troops for this entire area."

Klauber would like to see more girls and more parents involved. "More girls usually means more fun for everyone," she said.

Daisy Troop 8928 includes girls in kindergarten through first grade. "These girls are bridging up to Brownie," she said. "Their activities include songs, games, crafts and occasional outings." The troop consists of girls from Julian Elementary and Spencer Valley.

Brownie Troop 8326 includes girls in first, second and third grades from Julian Elementary. Although badges are not available to this age group, they have equivalent "try-its." The girls have worked with the junior scouts and are themselves bridging up to juniors.

Girls Scouts show off their placement ribbons

"In addition to their 'try-its' and working with the other scouts, the Brownies went camping in Anza-Borrego State Park in April," she said.

The third group of scouts is Junior Troop 8442. Although most of the girls in this troop are from Julian Elementary, there are also members from Spencer Valley and some girls who are home-schooled.

"Last summer, this troop earned enough money to go to the Grand Canyon," Klauber said. They also earned badges, held an archery workshop and camped at Anza-Borrego.

This year, the troop will go to Yosemite and the Sequoia national parks for a week. While there, they will work on their ecology badges, practice their outdoor skills, hike and camp.

Troop 9682, based in Warner Springs, consists of all age levels of girls, and includes Daisy, Brownie and Junior members. The troop is active in crafting and service projects for area hospitals. They are also working on a teddy bear project with local police officers.

What is missing in each of these troops are more members and more leaders.

"We need people that can get things done," Klauber said. "We need adults that want to make a positive experience for these girls, and help build them into strong, confident leaders for the future."

For more information on joining Girl Scouts, Trice Klauber can be reached at 760-420-5437. The Girl Scout Council Headquarters, located at Balboa Park, can be reached at 619-610-0778. n