St. Charles Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years
Jen Kellen signed her 8-year-old daughter Maggie up for Girl Scouts two years ago, armed with fond memories of her own involvement in the youth organization.
“It teaches the girls to help others, be kind to others, be responsible,” Kellen said. “It’s a good experience.”
On Sunday, the mother-daughter pair celebrated a centennial milestone as hundreds of other Girl Scouts throughout St. Charles and School District 303 gathered to mark the 100th anniversary of the worldwide group’s start in 1912.
The younger girls had the chance to earn a commemorative 100th anniversary patch based on activities at the celebration, with some older girls volunteering to lead stations.
Amber Gregory, 14, helped with crafts Sunday, giving younger girls tips on making bracelets.
“It’s so nice to teach the girls,” Gregory said. “They’re so nice and sweet.”
Other stations included face painting, hair extensions, relay races and a time capsule — everyone who attended the celebration was asked to sign in as a record for future Girl Scouts to open in 100 years. Items will be collected to add to the capsule for another six months, giving local troops the chance to prepare their tokens for posterity.
A fashion show on a raised runway in the St. Charles North High School gym featured the changing styles of Girl Scouts in the past 100 years, with a pep rally rounding out the 4-hour event.
Items from the St. Charles Historical Society gave more context to Girl Scouts history with handbooks from the last century and biographical information about Juliette Gordon Low, the organization’s founder.
Lisa Feddor of St. Charles helped organize the local celebration, which is being done by troops since the March 12 anniversary.
“They do so much for the community,” Feddor said. “We just wanted them to have fun and know it’s a big deal.”