Georgia Magazine - November 2019 - 22

My GEORGIA

By Debbie Kitchens

Principles to last
a lifetime

ne of the most significant and long-lasting contributions that a native Georgian made to community
service, character development and my own life is the
Girl Scouts organization.
Though my Scouting years were in Mobile, Ala., I'm grateful for this part of Georgia history, which started March 12,
1912, in Savannah, when Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout troop.
According to its website, girlscouts.
org, Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's
largest leadership organization for girls,
with about 2.5 million members. I was not
surprised to read that 72 percent of female
U.S. senators and 58 percent of women
serving in the U.S. House of Representatives are Girl Scout alums.
Some of my fondest memories are
from Scouting in the 1960s. What funDebbie Kitchens still has her Girl Scout sash,
bearing some of the badges she earned
during her Scouting days.

Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
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Georgia Magazine

November 2019

filled camaraderie, singing songs like "Kookaburra," "Kumbayah" and "The Happy Wanderer" on the bus going to camp.
We thought we were roughing it, spending nights in sleeping
bags in the fully enclosed pavilion. We saw it as a real adventure, and for some of us it was our first extended stay away from
home. I remember my mom giving me a giant Hershey bar to
take on my first campout-no doubt in case I got homesick.
There's something about eating food cooked on a campfire that makes it taste so much better. I remember a
delicious stew cooked by our leaders and, of
course, roasting marshmallows for s'mores-
all enjoyed while we were comfy on our "situpons."
We loved the Lummi stick song, which
we were told was a Native American game. We
also performed skits. I played a clown with a
giant, painted cardboard sucker and clown
shoes; I bent over to "tie" them so another
Scout could kick me and get a laugh. Another
time, four of us played a Beatles record while
lip-syncing and "playing" our handmade
instruments. Yes, we were cool!
Earning merit badges pushed me out of
my comfort zone. The one for reading was
easily earned; it was my favorite thing to do!
Some of today's badges reflect the changing times: geocaching, staying fit, science,
cybersecurity, engineering, etc.
Scouting continues to be a healthy
outlet for young girls. It's a great way to try
new things, challenge yourself, form lasting
friendships, mold character and create
future leaders.
Learning and striving to fulfill the Girl
Scout promise, law and motto are essential
to being a good Scout.
If only we adults would live up to the
Girl Scout principles, the world would be
a better place!
Debbie Kitchens lives in Perry and is
retired from Robins Air Force Base.

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Georgia Magazine - November 2019

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