Even after age 50, these Girl Scouts still live on---Green Hat Society

Sharing this that I found elsewhere

All grown up, Girl Scouts still cheerfully serving others

By ANN WEBER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

You can take the girl out of Girl Scouting, but you can't take Girl Scouting out of the girl.

Not even if she's on the far side of 50.

Take the Green Hat Society — a group of grown-up Girl Scouts who can still pitch a tent, bake a pie in a rock-lined hole, turn tin cans into a stove, fold a flag properly, tie a clove hitch knot, mark a trail, and belt out songs they memorized decades ago.

Nor have they forgotten their old Girl Scout laws, including No. 2: “A Girl Scout is loyal.”

“Girl Scouting had such an impact on me ... I really took those laws seriously as a child and then later as an adult, and I think it still affects me now,” said Bonnie Hamic, 71, of Whitehouse, chairman of the board of the local Green Hat Society.
Loyal to each other and to the organization they love, members of the troop that Mrs. Hamic led from 1959 to 1972 formed the Green Hat Society in 2004. It's believed to be the first of several Green Hat groups and individual members across the country. Mrs. Hamic keeps track of them as national registrar and newsletter editor.

“It's kind of a spoof of the Red Hat Society,” said Mrs. Hamic, who is generally credited for starting the Green Hats at a reunion campout with members of her old Troop 280. But while Red Hatters are all about fun and friendship, the “Greenies,” as they call themselves, have a serious side too.

“We grew up when the third law of Girl Scouts was ‘A Girl Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others,'” Mrs. Hamic pointed out, “and somehow we can't just be totally frivolous.”

They're not an official offshoot of the Girl Scouts of the USA, but the mother organization has approved a Girl Scout Junior Girl Scout badge developed by the Green Hat Society. Girls earn the badge during an weekend at Camp Libbey, near Defiance, by participating in activities such as hiking, tying knots, building a fire, crafting a songbook, and making a camp stove.

“We wanted to pass along the traditions that we felt had influenced our lives,” Mrs. Hamic said. The chapter's most recent Junior Encampment, its fourth, was last weekend for girls from Pemberville, Swanton, Sylvania, and Toledo.

“We want to instill in today's tech-savvy children the skills for surviving without technical support,” added Judy Cremean, 61, of West Toledo, a member of the board of the local chapter.

The Green Hats also make themselves useful by maintaining an acre of land in the Oak Openings region, where their duties include removing invasive plants that threaten the food supply of the rare Karner blue butterfly. They also lend a hand as needed to local Girl Scout troops.


There are purely social activities too — even dutiful girls gotta have fun.

“We're a pretty laid-back group,” Mrs. Hamic said. There's only one requirement to join: Be a Girl Scout 50 or older. And six years after they formed, they're in no rush to write bylaws.

“The only laws we really need are the good old Girl Scout laws,” she said.

For more information about the Green Hat Society, e-mail Bonnie Hamic at ejhamic@juno. com

Not just a meeting but a time to shine, learn and grow

Today was our first annual meeting as Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. We are only 10 months old now, less than a year since the realignment/merger was completed. The initial 6 months after the realignment had a lot of bumps and hiccups, it seems like we are finally on the right track, kinda like a newborn learning to crawl, ready to start walking. 5 different councils, 5 different ways of doing things, now all one large council. But I wouldn't have it any way.
Many people can not stand meetings, but these annual meetings I have a whole new approach and guide to. For me, I get to show my CONFIDENCE and CHARACTER, showing what has worked for me in various situations and examples and in turn to help others and provoke a "Oh, that's interesting" thought or two. As the meeting session and workshops go on, I have the COURAGE to ask question, talk to someone in the hall who I do not know.
I wish the workshops were a little longer, but I do appreciate that now with the larger council, they take into consideration that some volunteers drive from hours away, so at they make it worth your drive. There are so many other workshops I wish I could have attended. Once again, I left excited and wanting to learn more, as did my trip to NYC about a month ago.
Another big highlight was meeting up with my online friend, Bev and the chairperson of the History & Archives committee that I recently joined, Rita. I earned my "Picnic Patch" which is when you communicate online with a friend of the WAGGGS-L list (World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts) and then share a meal or snack with that person in real life, you earn your picnic patch and if you meet up with more friends in real life in the future, you earn an "ant" for each person because of course, ants love picnics! Many people had no idea what that even was!
I almost wish I could have meetings and conferences like this more often but it is simply not possible, but each time I do, I feel more excited and invigorated. My poor husband thinks I'm crazy and have fallen off my rocker, per se, but nah, that's just my enthusiasm pouring over!
I also was impressed, just in the workshop I was in, to see how many volunteers do not have children of their own. Glad to know that I am not the only "childless leader" and I wish I could say that I could recruit more, that I can't say that I can.
Just seeing the History exhibit that was on display also made me more ready to dive into the History and Archives part of my newest endeavor.
With that all being said, I must ask you "What did you do today?" Whose lives have you made an impact on?

Courage, Confidence and Character---not just a motto any more

After experiencing another successful camping trip with my Girl Scout troops, the motto "Courage, Confidence & Character" has been so true this past weekend.
Part of our experience of camping at Misty Hollow was participating in the Brownie Tasters program that is offered. Some girls loved horses, some were unsure of it. One particular girl, a leader's daughter who is shy at time, had the COURAGE to ride on the horse alone, with some minimal lessons on the basics of horse riding. She beamed from ear to ear when she achieved this accomplishment.
Another girl loved riding horses, but she wanted the help of one of the horse instructors for a while, then she developed the CONFIDENCE to finally ride the horse alone after she learned that yes, she could take control of the horse just fine. Again, another very happy girl left with a new skill and love for horses.
While we were getting ready to leave camp, one of the least favorite parts is the cleanup. Although cleaning latrines is never a fun kaper for any girl, two of the girls had the CHARACTER to volunteer to do it without complaint. She understood that there was a task to be done, and she mustered up the CHARACTER to know that it was the right thing to do.
Over and over, this statement has been proven to me over and over, both in my girls' situations and as a leader as well.
I am so proud of the new bonding with the troop and hope this continues to build as the time goes on.

Because I am a Girl Scout...

I get asked from time to time why I stay involved in Girl Scouts. This is especially hits home since it is Mother's Day and although I'm not a mother, I have my own "kids" both girls and kitties.

Because I am a Girl Scout

*Because I am a Girl Scout, I have made an impact in hundreds of girls over the years
*Because I am a Girl Scout, easy access to yummy cookies and nuts/candy is an added bonus
*Because I am a Girl Scout, I have met many wonderful adults/volunteers whom I consider friends to this day
*Because I am a Girl Scout, visiting cities that I may have not had a chance to visit otherwise has become a reality
*Because I am a Girl Scout, I have been able to allow a child to confide to me in problems going on in her life and listen to her feelings
*Because I am a Girl Scout, learning how to make many cute crafts and play kids' games is something I enjoy
*Because I am a Girl Scout, now I know that I will not melt in the rain and have learned to survive during a downpour
*Because I am a Girl Scout, girls have asked me to be their 2nd leader in an event called, Rainbow World Jamboree for older girls
*Because I am a Girl Scout, girls run up to me in the store to give me a hug
*Because I am a Girl Scout, singing songs I remember as a girl gives me huge smiles and enjoy teaching other girls
*Because I am a Girl Scout, campfires are so much more fun with all "my girls" and other adults
*Because I am a Girl Scout, scavenger hunts are fun! And so are hikes!
*Because I am a Girl Scout, conquering an outdoor rock climbing wall, with girls from my troop cheering me on, even going a 2nd time
*Because I am a Girl Scout, memories come flooding back, especially when camping.
*Because I am a Girl Scout, camping every weekend wouldn't bother me in the least
*Because I am a Girl Scout, learning about history now has a new twist to it.
*Because I am a Girl Scout, visiting all different "meccas" around the world is now becoming a reality
*Because I am a Girl Scout, life is an ongoing learning cycle for me, learning something new every day
*Because I am a Girl Scout, the rewards of being a leader are too numerous to count
*Because I am a Girl Scout, close relationships with staff are considered treasured to me
*Because I am a Girl Scout, utilizing my communications skills is now a reality


*Because I am a Girl Scout, I am the person I am and continue to grow and yearn to be, making an impact to everyone everywhere, both locally and globally.

Now repeat after me: I LOVE BEING A GIRL SCOUT!

~Carleen Hannan

Making an impact without even knowing it

There are times in life where you start to wonder what your purpose on life is. You ponder different times in your life. For some, they are really easy such as being a parent. But for those without children, such as myself, it may be a little harder to define that purpose.
Enter Girl Scouts. Although I was in Girl Scouts as a girl, like most girls do, I didn't continue through high school. Even now, I can't remember exactly why I stopped. But as I got older and married, I felt my life was unfulfilled and I remembered my days as a Girl Scout--troop camping, summer camp---and thought that I would like to try my hand at giving girls the same experience that I once had.
Little did I know that this would unfold and that more opportunities would arise: council and national meetings, trips to Washington, DC for a Sing-A-Long, numerous camping trips, service team involvement. The list is too long to list here.
The biggest and most significant change is when I moved to Elmira, and was asked to take on a small group of girls who were interested in Girl Scouts but had no troops in the school to join. I started the troop in the middle of the year, and the numbers were small at first but I knew that that may be case since it was middle of the year. As the school year ended and a new one started, the troop started growing. Now, it has grown so much that we have split into 4 troops--Daisies through Cadettes (grades K-8) That's when I really started to realize what my purpose in life is. I see girls who just love to come to the meetings, go on trips....the list is endless. I can't tell you how many times that one of your girls sees you at a grocery store and runs up to you and give you a hug. That, to me, is a true sign that you have made a difference in a girls life.
Even now, I have seen the fruits of my labor reward in leaps and bounds with my role in promoting Girl Scouts to the public. For so many people out there, they don't know what Girl Scouts really is all about. Its more than camping and cookies.....its building confidence and character who make the world a better place. I see this all the time locally and quite frankly, I'm loving it. People get so sick and tired of hearing about the economy, the war in the middle east, devastation in different part of the world, etc and love to see/read about a "feel good" story. You see, my major was communications in college and I have always considered myself a writer, on the side of course. Although my job now has nothing to do with any type of communications or media, I have still managed to use it and that to me is very rewarding.
So if you ever wonder what your purpose in life is, just take a look inside---its in there waiting for you to discover it.
~Carleen Hannan

First Attempt At Posting

So, it is my first day of blogging. A total newbie to this. About me: I'm Carleen, 36, married to a wonderful man named Brian and am originally from Schuyler County, NY (Watkins Glen NY area)
I am an active Girl Scouts volunteer, leader, etc. We currently don't have any children. I love to write stories and such, just never published anything. Maybe this is an outlet to "test the waters" I don't know yet.

I can't believe how hot is is now. It was like 30s last week and then the heat wave & humidity kicked. I think Mother Nature is either bipolar or schizophrenic. LOL

That's all for now. More maybe tomorrow!
~Carleen