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Fowler devoted much time to Girl Scout troop
By Jana Seshadri
Five years ago Phyllis Fowler started something in Lakewood Village that which gave her immense pleasure and enjoyment when she was younger--a Junior Girl Scout troop.
"I got a lot out of being a Girl Scout and wanted to start a troop," Fowler said.
Believing strongly that her nine third- to sixth-grade Girl Scouts should be aware of day-to-day challenges, Fowler introduces practical issues in their weekly activities. She said they learn and work toward earning simple badges tailored to their age.
"They do a lot of crafts, financial issues like budgeting money and learning to save, cooking," Fowler said.
Besides familiarizing them with the fundamentals of daily living, Fowler said she incorporates science and astronomy into their activities. The troop had a special activity during the sighting of the Hale Bopp comet about five years ago.
"We actually built a comet during the meeting," Fowler said.
She said times are stressful and hectic nowadays, when parents deal with so much more than just raising kids. Parents have to make many choices both in their own lives and their children's lives, she added.
Fowler said that she does not insist her troop members get uniforms; they've created their own T-shirts. Encouraging them to get just the vests, she has ultimately left the decision to the parents to get whatever they can afford. The troop meets every Thursday evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
"It takes a lot of time and effort to take on a leadership of a troop," Fowler said.
Married to Sunnyvale Mayor Fred Fowler, Phyllis said they moved into Lakewood Village seven years ago. Growing up with three brothers, who were all Cub Scouts, gave Fowler the opportunity to take a peek into scouting, and she later became a Girl Scout herself.
"My mother was leader of their troops for many years," she said. "And she was assistant leader for some of my troops."
Things have changed and evolved over the years and in this, the 90th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, there are more service projects moving into Girl Scouting, she said.
"I try to combine a little learning and having fun at the same time," Fowler said.
In order to teach her troop that learning itself can be fun, Fowler said she looks forward to opening the girls' eyes--sometimes with scientific experiments--so that they understand what they are learning.
The troop has been on several fieldtrips over the years including the San Francisco Zoo, the Teddy Bear factory and, most recently, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety to learn about fingerprinting and investigation techniques.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
