Real Troopers

Ten years ago, on a 2^nd-grade class trip, Rye moms Anne Harshbarger and Rose Castro met and started talking, and by the time they were back home they’d agreed to start a Girl Scout Troop in the fall.

At the Gold Award Ceremony held at Rye Presbyterian Church this spring, Harshbarger credited the participation of many for bringing the Girl Scouts of Troop 2282 on a wonderful journey.

She gave thanks to Milton School Principal Joanne Nardone for letting the troop meet there — first in a Kindergarten classroom, then in the Gym. Rye Middle School Principal Ann Edwards and Rye High Principal Patty Taylor opened the Home Ed room to the girls. Rye Rec Superintendent Sally Rogol and staff made space for them, too.

They started with doable tours around town — the Police Station, the Square House, Morgans, and Blue Tulip, which left them dreaming of chocolate.

Next stop, New York City, where they visited Girl Scout Headquarters, toured Grand Central Terminal and watched the Veterans Day Parade.

Troop 2282 traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Scouts, which was celebrated with a sing-a-long on the National Mall.

And then there were the adventures: camping (dad Mike Marchand’s amazing campfires in the sky), and sleepovers and camporees with other Rye Girl Scouts.

On their trip to Cape Cod, the girls got a behind-the-scene tour of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, learned to surf, tried kayaking, and enjoyed a local league baseball game, before enjoying fried clams on the beach.

“Our big trip was to Europe last year,” Harshbarger noted. “We started in Milan, where we studied some of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, saw <The Last Supper>, and took a tour of the historic part of the city.” From there, they took two trains and a bus over the Alps to Switzerland, where they hiked, rafted, and swam in a glacial lake.

In addition to learning how to sell a tremendous number of Girl Scout cookies to fund their adventures, the girls learned what it means to Be Prepared, said Harsbarger in her parting remarks. With the love and support of the community, they head out into the world as capable and thoughtful young women who are ready for every challenge.

It wasn’t only the Gold Award recipients — Kaitlin Beechert, Kristina Marchand, and Abigail Repetto — who were celebrated at the ceremony. Anne Harshbarger received well-deserved flowers, and many other parents were recognized for their enthusiastic dedication, among them Victoria Dillon (co-leader), Regina Beechert (treasurer), Patricia Murphy and Pamela Bergin (cookie sale chairs), David Walker (chaperone), and Carmen Aquilar (chaperone).

Photos by Melanie Cane

Troop 2282 Leader Anne Harshbarger receiving a Proclamation from Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker

Gold Award recipients Kaitlin Beechert and Kristina Marchand