Girl Scout Troop 24795 took a self-defense class from Master Kim at Moorestown’s National Karate Institute last year.
Girl Scout Troop 24795, now in its second year, has no plans to slow down.
“I actually was a Girl Scout growing up and Liz (troop co-leader Elizabeth Sadek) was, too,” said the township troop’s other co-leader, Becky Ford. “We just have really good memories of selling cookies and camping and caroling, and I think it’s all about just making memories for the girls.
“They’re fairly young for a little bit of time and we wanted to really capitalize on that and expose them to some different activities that maybe sports don’t offer.”
The troop is made up of third graders from the township’s three elementary schools: Baker, South Valley and Roberts.
“Next year, the third graders will go on to a different school, Moorestown Upper Elementary School,” explained Ford. “So when they get there, they’re already going to know friends from the different elementary schools, so it’s a good way for them to meet other people.”
“This troop is all third graders and they’ve been together since the beginning of second grade and there’s really nothing else …” Sadek noted. “There’s nothing else they’re doing like this, where it’s community service-oriented or just based on evolving who they are as people in terms of their learning about the environment, learning about horticulture – whatever it is we’re taking on at that time.”
The troop has one activity a month, whether visiting the township fire station, apple-picking or taking a self-defense class.
“We try to be very respectful of their schedules,” Sadek said. “The kids in the troop are all heavily committed to a lot of other stuff, so we try to be very respectful of that and keep it to just one activity, once a month, for an hour-and-a-half or less.”
Troop members are shown with co-leaders Becky Ford (back left) and Elizabeth Sadek after performing in the township’s annual holiday parade last year.
“I think what we try to do (to) is, when we think about activities, when we’re planning activities, we try to have activities that they’re going to be able to grow from and learn, and to develop into confident little girls,” Ford pointed out. “I think we also, in our mind, want to give back to the community, so we make sure we’re doing things to help the community, and then also introducing them to different parts of Moorestown.
“Not only are they learning skills to strengthen and become confident, young girls, but they’re also learning about Moorestown … I think that’s two of the pillars of what we really try to do, and then the third thing is just have some fun,” she added.
Given all that the troop does, it’s nice for them to come together, Sadek related.
“It’s a good way for them to connect on a different level, because they’re not all athletes, they’re not all theater kids, they’re all doing different things,” she said. “So it’s a nice platform for them to connect.
“Whenever they go anywhere, they’re pretty cohesive,” Sadek continued. “They really will talk to everyone. They’ll all talk to each other. It’s nice.”
Part of being a Scout is making friends, having fun, finding adventure, giving back and earning badges and awards, according to girlscouts.org. But Ford and Sadek hope the troop learns other things too.
“I think tolerance for each other, that’s so important when you have a group like this,” Sadek maintained. “When you take kids from all different types of interests and hobbies and skills, and you put them together, and they can appreciate each other for whatever they bring to the table – which I think has really happened with this group – I think that’s the best we could hope for.”
“The first time we sold cookies they were a little bit shy,” Ford acknowledged of the girls. “They didn’t know what to do … They wrote scripts, and then we videotaped them to help them, so I think confidence is something that I’m really hoping to instill in them.”
To learn more about the Girl Scout program in Moorestown, contact Maryellen DeMille at micolhan@hotmail.com.
