Saratoga News

Louise Webb

Girl Scouts celebrating their 85th anniversary

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Girl Scout movement in the United States. It was started by Juliette Low. Last month, Terry Saperstein of Saratoga, leader of Junior Troop 1257, invited Marion Card and Jonnie Skidmore Fischer to be honored guests of Service Unit l8 at the unit's annual Adult Recognition Ice Cream Social. Fischer and Card shared memories and Girl Scout memorabilia from their longtime experiences in scouting with the 17 Saratoga troops that evening. (Saperstein reported that one in five girls in Saratoga is in the Girl Scout program.)

Fischer, 86, is passionate about scouting and has been active at the leadership level for 53 years, including working at the regional and national level. She moved here in l958 from North Hollywood.

Through scouting, Fischer became friends with Lady Baden-Powell (Lord Baden-Powell was the world founder of the Boy Scouts). Fischer's three daughters, Diane, Patricia and Marilyn, were Girl Scouts.

Card actively served in scouting for 20 years during the '50s and '60s. Her four daughters, Carol, Ashley, Janice and Melinda, were also in scouting. Card was a troop leader and a neighborhood chairwoman and served on the Santa Clara County Girl Scout Board of Directors. She has visited three of four Girl Scout world centers--in Mexico, Swizerland, and London. She recalled a tri-city poetry event at Montalvo, at which scouts read winning poems and then let out balloons with friendship letters in them; visiting Sacramento to learn about government firsthand; and placing laurel wreaths at veterans' graves on Memorial Day at Madronia Cemetery. The latter is still done today.

Fischer and Card see many changes in scouting. The uniforms have been updated. Kindergartners can join a group called Daisies at the age of 5. They started at the age of 7 before and were called Brownies.

Girl Scouts earn badges in five worlds: The World of Well-Being (drug-abuse prevention) The World of People (learning about business and other cultures) The World of Today and Tomorrow (computer fun and aerospace) The World of Outdoors (ecology) and The World of Arts (listening to symphonies and going to the Rotary Art Show).

Card says, "It has always been the aim to have programs that meet the needs of the girls of the day, to give them skills and opportunities to reach their greater potential, to empower them with 'girl power,' the term used today. Scouting gives them power to make good decisions and develop self-esteem and a 'can do' attitude. For 85 years the Girl Scouts has been the same in developing character, conduct, patriotism and service."

Other News: Congratulations to Mary Jeanne Fenn and John Tauchi for being selected at volunteers of the year by the Saratoga Rotary Club.

Marne Michaels was co-chairman of the l997 Women's Heartstyle luncheon put on by the American Heart Association.

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