In 2018 the Boy Scouts of America Program made the decision to allow girls into the program, and in late 2019 Salina Troop 2020 has been growing, and the girl scouts have learned new skills and developed leadership attributes. “We started out with five girl scouts and currently have nine active members,” said Scoutmaster Cassidy Church. “Right now, we’re all from Salina, but the troop is certainly open to scouts joining us from Redmond and Aurora as well. We do pretty much everything the boy scouts do, such as camping, first aid, swimming, citizenship, lifesaving, and leadership trainings.” The scouts, under Church’s direction, have assisted the local American Legion in erecting flags on holidays and at their Memorial Day breakfasts, and do fundraising activities at local events such as the Car Show and Balloon Festival. They work closely with the local boy scout troop, headed by Pat and Terri Robins.
Most recently the scouts have been selling caramel popcorn around town, with funds going towards organized summer camps. This month they also assisted the Sevier County Backpack Club with their carnival fundraiser and attended community meetings to learn about local government.
“It’s a really neat program and the girls learn so much, not only working towards earning their badges, but also by setting and reaching goals, working together as a team, and serving others,” said Church. “They earned first place at two of the Klondike Campouts we’ve been to, and they have so much fun together as they’re learning. It’s a neat experience.”
Church particularly enjoys the scouting program because it includes the entire family, and activities and meetings for all ages are held on the same nights at the same time- parents aren’t running in a thousand different direction to get their children to each of their activities; they’re all in one location, at the same time. She feels this is a definite plus to the program.
For more information on the troop, contact Church at 893-1199, or for the boys’ group, Pat Robins at 529-2000.
