Alumnae Story
'Being a Girl Scout Opened the World for Me'

By Debbie Cafazzo
Tacoma, Wash.
Formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio

Being a Brownie, Junior and Cadette Girl Scout opened the world for me. Since my family didn't vacation or do anything outdoorsy, traveling and camping were my favorite Girl Scout activities.

As a Brownie, I attended day camp. I still remember crazy hat day and surviving a spider bite. As a Junior, we spent many fun weekends at Girl Scout camps — including one special winter sleepover in a cabin with a cozy fireplace where we roasted marshmallows. We traveled by train to see the historic Henry Clay home in Lexington, Ky. I'm not sure whether the train ride (a dying form of transportation in the 1960s) or the beautiful old house was more interesting.

When we became Cadettes, our fantastic leader, Mrs. Adams, helped us work hard to raise funds for big out-of-state trips. We went to Washington, D.C., and to Chicago and toured historic spots and museums. Our most fun fund-raiser: We held a summer carnival, and my best friend, Lisa, and I dressed as gypsies and told fortunes. We were a big hit!

As a Cadette, I attended Girl Scout summer camps. I remember I had to earn the money myself to pay for half the cost. That was a lot of chores and babysitting money! I stayed in Girl Scouting through my freshman year in high school. The most special thing about scouting was being able to make and keep lifelong friends.

Today, I'm the Girl Scout leader for my 11-year-old daughter. We started as Daisies, continued through Brownies and we are entering our final year as Juniors. Remarkably, a core bunch of my 12 scouts have been together since about second grade. They all started in the same school, and now attend many different schools. But they have stayed friends through scouting. It's been a pleasure and privilege watching them grow up together.