GRANBY/SOUTH HADLEY -  The Girl Scouts of America are helping girls and young women in South Hadley and Granby make friends, gain cultural experience and learn necessary life skills.

Daisy Scout Leader and Service Unit Coordinator Debbie Mendes said last year many of the Girl Scout troops went remote with the coronavirus pandemic. ”I think a lot of troops are starting outdoors and eventually moving inside, ” she said. In addition to troop meetings, she said the local Girl Scout Camp in South Hadley has been utilized for ”meetings and events. ”

She said that years ago chapters merged, bringing South Hadley and Granby's troops together into one service unit. ”We're two small towns; it made more sense. We can have girls from other towns that can join us, sometimes they have a parent that lives in the area, but dad may live in Hadley or Holyoke, but mom lives here. I know I've had girls from Agawam, Springfield, Belchertown, Holyoke, all over different towns,” she said. ”We've had girls from South Hadley that joined Hadley, it could be timing, after school, whatever works for them. ”

While they're well known for their cookie sales, Mendes said the organization is community- oriented with a focus on giving back. ”We haven't figured it out yet, but we're trying to think of another community project girls can do like collecting something. For many years we've donated cookies to the military, so a lot of girls will donate that from their troop,” she said.

She went on to explain that while the younger girls focus more on learning independence from their parents, the older girls work toward earning one, two or all three awards offered. ”Some of our older girls work on awards, there are three different awards: bronze, silver and gold. They go with their age, high school work on gold, which is the highest award girls can earn and it's compared to the Boy Scout Eagle Project,” she said.

Some recent projects girls completed to earn awards include a box at the South Hadley Library for letters to seniors and a recycling project. ”In the South Hadley Library there's a box, I think there's one at one of the schools too, where people can drop them off for seniors and they'll take them to the Senior Center and get passed out. Anyone of any age can drop a card in and help brighten their day,” she said. ”I know other girls worked on a recycling project, trying to get the word out about what is recyclable and what is not, especially in our area. There are different plastics we shouldn't be recycling, but we do.”

While there are a list of requirements for each project, the ultimate goal of the project, she explained, was to share it with people outside of the Girl Scout community. ”It could be by their project alone, it could be through a flyer or they could make a video or commercial on the town channel,” she said.

Mendes recalled a project done by a Girl Scout years ago that she said had exemplified what the award projects were supposed to achieve. ”A girl many years ago did a recycling program at the high school. It was a lasting project that kept going, so it's getting the word out and trying to keep the project as ongoing as possible, letting people other than the Girl Scouts know this is what they've done,” she said.

She said the project subject is left up to those completing the award. ”They get to choose whatever they want to do. They do have a committee they have to go through for a gold, they approve it. They have mentors that help guide them through the process, they have so many hours they have to do,” she said.

The projects, she explained, enhance resumes in addition to life skills. ”They add it to resumes [and] college applications. I believe if you finish your gold, you're automatically in one rank in the military, some people get scholarships out of that,” she explained.

Mendes said ”all Girl Scout troops are run by volunteers.” She said, ”We don't get paid. Everything is completely volunteer. If we're asking families to pay for a trip, volunteers are also paying.” She said the only requirement to volunteer was to be over 18 years of age and that” two non-related adults” be assigned to each troop. “We're always looking for new leaders, it can be anyone - male, female, gender fluid - as long as they're 18 and want to volunteer. If there are two males we'll have a female there for liability. If two [people] are related, a third will be there for liability,” she said, adding she works with her sister often, which requires a third person.

She explained the skills learned by the girls are beneficial throughout their entire life, but the memories made were just as important. “What I usually say to someone looking to lead is just the memories you're making with your own children through this process, the time you get to spend with your own daughter or daughters, the field trips or overnights and projects, that's a fun thing,” she said.

“It's just really a great program, the girls get a lot out of it. Just making friends and learning how to be independent without parents, especially on field trips and overnights,” she said. Mendes went on to say they always “try to bring new experiences” and help the girls experience as much as possible. “We've gone to camp, slept over at zoos and aquariums, they've dissected squids, gone to New York City and the Statue of Liberty, a long time ago we did Broadway shows,” she said. “There's some overseas trips that are being planned too.”

She went on to say they'd even worked with Mount Holyoke College to offer further experiences to the Girl Scouts. “We pair up with Mount Holyoke College often and they have a dance company that's come over and shown their cultural dance as well. We've done many things with them, they're very diverse over there,” she said.

Those interested in volunteering, joining the Girl Scouts or learning more about the organization should visit https://www.gscwm.org/ or call the Holyoke office at 584-2602.