To Parents and Caregivers of Girls entering the Second and Third Grade:
I’m writing to tell you about a new opportunity for girls to participate in Girl Scouting. A new Brownie Girl Scout troop is being formed for the fall which will be especially welcoming to girls with special needs and girls who are not likely to have the opportunity to otherwise participate in scouting. This troop will be open to those girls who have special learning needs, physical needs, and/or communication needs. The troop will also be open to those girls who may be home schooled, attend private schools, be new to the community or lack the financial resources to participate. It will be open to everyone.
As a parent of two special needs kids, I’ve noticed that many times our kids are over looked when it comes to participating in some of the childhood activities we all take for granted such as scouting. Sometimes the volunteers are ill informed about the needs of our children and lack the skills and desire to learn about what works with our children resulting in a reluctance to welcome all girls into a troop. I’ve volunteered to be a leader for this troop because I love scouting and desire to try to give all girls the opportunity to participate and to have fun and learn with their peers. I will do my best to try to accommodate everyone’s special circumstance and will ask for support from parents and other professionals to find out what works with each child. I’m not a teacher and have no special training to work with these kids other than what I’ve picked up in working with my autistic son and very smart (could be gifted, not sure yet) daughter.
I’m working on finding a place and time to meet and have contacted the Girl Scouts of the Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys Council for their support. I will keep everyone informed as to what develops. My preference is to meet on Monday evenings from 6 to 7:30 or 7:45 p.m. on days when school is in session. I’ve just started looking for a place to meet so nothing is etched in stone. There are many Girl Scout events that occur on the weekends or during breaks from school. I’m willing to participate in those if there are girls that are interested.
I realize that this group will present some challenges, but I think in the end everyone from the girls to the leader/volunteers to our community will benefit. Diversity in membership just makes the scouting experience more rewarding and beneficial.
Please complete and return to me the attached interest form. If you are interested in registering a girl for this troop, helping with the troop or have questions about this troop or Girl Scouting, please contact me at 952-368-0054 or send an e-mail to me at dmwold@comcast.net or to Gloria Garrison, our local Girl Scout membership representative at Gloria.garrison@girlscoutsrv.org. The Girl Scouts will also be holding their normal membership drive in the community and are always willing to accept new members. For the troop to be a go, we’ll need at least five girls and a co-leader. Depending on the needs of the girls, the assistance of parents and/or PCA’s may be needed. There is financial assistance available for girls who may not otherwise be able to participate in scouting through our Council.
I’m very excited to be a part of this and look forward to hearing from you. I truly hope that there is a way we can make this troop a fantastic experience for everyone.
Sincerely,
Darlene Wold