Girl Scouting: A Family Affair

by Ali Fairchild

I have been a Girl Scout since I was eight years old. I am now eighteen and am still a Girl Scout. One of the best things Girl Scouts has done for me was to bring me closer to my mom. For us, Girl Scouts was and continues to be a family affair. My mom was my troop leader from third grade until I graduated from high school. Our troop meetings were a time to connect and have fun together. Our love of Girl Scouting is something we have in common and that has brought us closer throughout the years.

As a Girl Scout, I learned how to camp, purify water, ride a horse, build a fire, bird watch and much more. Girl Scouting provides many outdoor experiences, but for me the larger lessons learned were things such as how to settle an argument, discovering what leadership means to me and how to voice my opinion with confidence. My mom taught me these things.

My mom is one of the greatest people I know. I attribute our friendship and healthy mother/daughter relationship to the experiences we had together in Girl Scouts. Without its quality programs, leadership opportunities and focus on service, my mom and I might not be as close as we are now. Girl Scouts has helped me develop into the woman I am today and has allowed my mom to be more involved in my life.

I have two younger sisters who’ve also grown up in Girl Scouting. My mom supports their activities and development as young leaders just as she did for me. For us, Girl Scouting will remain a family tradition, continuing our legacy of making our community and our world a better place.

Do you have a Girl Scout story to share? Email it to communications@gsutah.org.