100 Years of Scouting Celebrated in Scarsdale

On Saturday May 19 the Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scouts celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States. Hundreds of girl scouts, parents, brothers, sisters and community members turned out to join the party, which took place on Scout Field from 11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mother Nature provided the finishing touches on the grand celebration. The day not only was filled with sunshine, but with laughter, fun and teamwork! Organizers planned for the event for months, and on the big day, everything came together perfectly.

The day kicked-off with an obstacle course race, organized by two 8th graders from Scarsdale Middle School. As part of their Girl Scout Silver Award project, Megan Reynolds and Sarah Jathas, provided games and races throughout the day, including tug-of-war, three-legged-races, water balloon toss, a Girl Scout trivia contest, and even a pie-eating contest! Face painters adorned the crowd with colorful artwork on many faces of children and parents alike. The Westchester Power Squadron provided an interesting lesson on water safety, and Weinberg Nature Center wowed the crowd with an exciting hands-on animal presentation.

One of the highlights of the day came when the winners of the baking contest were revealed. Hundreds of cupcakes and cookies with a “girl scout theme” were entered into a contest to determine the best cupcake and cookie. While the winners were happy to hear their name called, the crowd was even more happy to get to enjoy the free treats that lined the tables.

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The day was filled with many other exciting activities. Girl Scouts shared their crafts and history, a caricaturist created humorous sketches for many of the participants, D.J. Peaches had everyone dancing, and a magician dazzled the crowd with his shows. Lange’s Deli kept the bar-b-que going with a steady flow of burgers and hot dogs. Homemade lemonade cooled the crowd throughout the day. Popcorn and cotton candy was in abundance. Jeannine Palermo of FitnessLink donated a personal training session and a group fitness party to two lucky winners of the raffle. The community pitched in by providing much needed dog and cat food for a pet pantry. This community service collection was spearheaded by Jennifer Jacobowitz, a sophomore at Scarsdale High School, as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. And, in typical Girl Scout fashion, many stayed after the event was over to help with the clean-up!

The day was very special. As one dad of a girl scout put it: “There was a real feel-good vibe in the air. It was refreshing to see a homespun event. Everyone had a great time.” Another participant asked: “Are we going to have this event again next year?” The organizers responded: “This event only comes around once every hundred years.”

The Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scout program is open to girls in grades k-12 who live in either Scarsdale or Edgemont. Parents also are welcomed to join, as troop leaders or volunteers in the organization. If you are interested in joining the Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scouts please contact them through their web site www.segirlscouts.org .

Article and photos contributed by Amy Cooper.