Tag: Girl Scouts

Local Girl Scouts Helping Dogs Despite Covid-19

*(L.-r.) Girl Scouts Amelia Beanland and Isabela DuBois present the “snuffle mats” they and their Troop 32801 made to Pasco County Animal Services, as part of their Silver Award project.*

We’ve all had to do some adjusting since the Covid-19 pandemic started in the spring.

For a pair of eighth grade (now ninth grade) Girl Scouts, the pandemic meant that they faced obstacle after obstacle while trying to earn their Silver Awards, which is the highest award given by Girl Scouts to its Cadettes, who are girls in sixth through eighth grade.

Fortunately for Isabela DuBois, who lives in Cory Lake Isles, and her project partner, Amelia Beanland, who lives in Cross Creek, they learned how to be flexible, adapt and persevere when things don’t go as planned.

The girls earned their Silver Awards before bridging to Seniors at the end of July.

Isabela has been a member of Girl Scout Troop 32801, which typically meets at Benito Middle School, since Daisies, when she was just six years old. Amelia joined the troop when she was in sixth grade. Currently, Troop 32801 has been meeting through Skype.

That’s just one of the changes the girls faced in trying to complete their project.

“Our project is called ‘Don’t shop, adopt,’” Isabela says. “We came up with it because we both have a passion for dogs.”

She says they researched puppy mills and worked to educate people about what they learned. They made a flier and created Instagram and Facebook accounts to educate people about the importance of adopting a pet, rather than shopping for one.

Then, they put their research into action by partnering with Pasco County Animal Services to support its efforts to rescue and find homes for dogs in need.

The girls made “snuffle mats”, which are used to hide food or treats for dogs. “We raised the money, bought the supplies, made them, and donated them,” Isabela says.

However, that wasn’t their original plan.

Isabela’s mom, Crystal, who is the assistant leader for the troop, says she was impressed with the girls’ ability to adapt.

Crystal explains that the project originally included three girls and was going to focus on awareness of pre-teen and teen anxiety. When one of the girls was diagnosed with anxiety, they thought it was too sensitive and came up with the new idea, focusing on helping dogs. Then, the third girl chose to do a different project, and Isabela and Amelia moved forward without her.

They started by organizing a volunteer day at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O’Lakes when Covid-19 caused the shelter to close its doors to volunteers. The girls had to figure out what to do next.

They called the shelter, which recommended they make the snuffle mats. The girls then raised the money to get supplies by hosting a “virtual bake sale,” where they delivered goodies to people who bought them online.

Isabela and Amelia then bought the supplies for the snuffle mats, including fabric and rubber mats with holes in them, and a representative of the shelter taught the troop how to make the mats via a Zoom meeting.

“They kind of got hit up against a wall and figured out a different way around it,” says Crystal. “They learned some strategy skills.”

The girls were each required to contribute 50 hours to the project, and both Isabela and Amelia exceeded that requirement.

“This took a lot of work,” says Isabela. “We had to change our project from our original plan, then we also had Covid, and we had to change it again. It got harder at the end because we couldn’t meet to do stuff. It was very difficult and stressful.”

Isabela says she is happy to have received the award, given by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, but she is more proud of her efforts and says she learned a lot during the process. “I want people to know how to find a proper breeder, kind of like a background check, and how to adopt properly and make sure the pet they adopt is healthy,” she says. “And, if you don’t want a dog, you can still help. You can donate to shelters or volunteer at a shelter.”

Isabela says she and Amelia had money left over from their fund-raising efforts after they made the snuffle mats, so they asked the shelter what kind of food was used, then ordered it and had it delivered.

“People can do that, too,” Isabela says, “and it’s not super expensive.” She says her journey in Girl Scouts is far from over, as she plans to earn her Gold Award, too.

“We’ve done archery, camping, gone canoeing, paddleboarding, ziplining and horseback riding,” she says. “They teach you First-Aid and life skills you won’t learn anywhere else. And, you make friends. I’ve learned so many things that I never would have if it wasn’t for Girl Scouts.”

Search “Florida Girl Scouts against Puppy Mills” on Facebook and on Instagram at “Dont.Shop.Adopt.”

Girl Scouts puppy mills

Book It! Elaine Feaster To Receive Student Of The Year Award

It started out as a little box, meant to hold 175 books, to be distributed to those who needed them

In just two years, however, it has turned into something so much more.

While initially launched as a relatively simple Girl Scout Silver Award project, incoming Freedom High freshman Elaine Feaster now has distributed more than 7,000 books to four elementary schools in Tampa, the Salvation Army, Metropolitan Ministries and the PCAT (Parents & Children Advance Together) family literacy program.

Her impact led her to be recognized by the Hillsborough County Council Parent Teacher Association/Parent Teacher Student Association (PTA/PTSA) as their “Middle School Student of the Year.”

And, the awards keep getting bigger.

Just a few weeks before she is to begin high school, Elaine will be honored with a state-wide designation when she receives the Florida PTA Student Advocate Award, which is given to one middle school student in Florida who through his or her creativity, leadership and dedication, has positively affected policy or change in their school or community in a way that aligns with PTA’s mission and goals.

Feaster will receive her award at the Florida PTA Award Celebration Luncheon on Saturday, July 20, in Edinburgh Hall at the Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort in Tarpon Springs.

“When I found out, I was just like, wow,” Elaine said. “I was surprised. But I am honored. It makes me feel good that even though I never thought of getting awards for this — it’s not why I did it — it’s nice to be recognized. No matter how young you are, you can make an impact in your community.”

Elaine just completed eighth grade at Liberty Middle School.

As Liberty PTSA president Shari Burress explains, Elaine’s project was one of the main reasons why she was chosen for the award.

“It just keeps blossoming and growing, and she just keeps taking it on,” says Burress. “She doesn’t think twice, and she never complains about the work. She’s always looking for the next opportunity to help.”

Ellen Lyons, the 2018-19 vice president of council operations for the Hillsborough County Council of PTAs/PTSAs, was responsible for overseeing the awards process.

She says she didn’t personally judge the category that Elaine won, but she speaks on behalf of all of the judges who did review the Middle School Student of the Year nominees.

“There were many outstanding applications,” Ellen says. “It was an embarrassment of riches to see how many quality students there are doing great things in the schools.”

She says Elaine’s project stood out because of her collection site at the New Tampa Family YMCA, which the judges thought was a smart strategy, and her strategy to get the books into the hands of students who need them the most.

“It was well executed,” Ellen says.

Elaine, a volleyball player for years at the YMCA, was volunteering as an assistant coach and set up a site for book donations, which she figured she could empty each week when she went there for games.

She was stunned, though, that the large box was overflowing every time she showed up. “I would collect all the books (after each game) and put them in the car, and the next week, there’d be more books,” Elaine says. “It was an exciting feeling that the community was helping.”

Elaine’s mom, Jane, says one reason Elaine was so passionate about her project is that she had a lot to overcome to be a successful student.

“I’m very proud of Elaine and all that she has accomplished,” says Jane. “Back in elementary school, she was diagnosed with a reading disability. I was very concerned for her going into middle school being a number and another face in the crowd. I couldn’t be any happier with what the school and the administration and teachers and what they’ve done for her. She’s a different kid from when she entered to when she’s leaving. It’s remarkable.”

Elaine has become well known for her project. In fact, even when the initial project was completed for her Girls Scout silver award (she is in Troop 1247), people kept asking if she was still accepting donations.

“Our garage was filled with books,” says her mother Jane, laughing. “We still have probably 300 books in there right now.”

No matter who asked, Elaine simply couldn’t say no.

“Elaine has a really kind heart and is always thinking of others,” Burress says. “She’s very involved at the school and is one of those kids who other kids look up to, as far as what’s the right thing to do.”

Liberty principal James Ammirati agrees.

“Elaine’s a phenomenal student,” he says. “She’s respected on campus by her peers and by the faculty and staff. She has a heart for service, and that’s her passion.”

He also describes Elaine as humble and says she doesn’t seek attention for the good things or works she does.

In addition to winning Hillsborough’s Middle School Student of the Year Award, Elaine was recognized with a “Certificate of Excellence” from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards because her volunteer activities were judged to be among the top 10 percent of all those considered in the State of Florida.

Also, based on the number of volunteer hours she performed, Elaine received the “Presidential Volunteer Service Award” and a letter from the White House.

She says she’s simply trying her best each day to be a good student and a good friend to all those around her.

Elaine isn’t done with her book project. She intends to continue in Girl Scout Troop 1247, which meets at St. James United Methodist Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms. As a high school student, she can begin work on her Gold Award.

Her summer project included creating a website — ScoutingForBooks.com — and she now puts a stamp on the inside of each cover that says “Read. Share. Repeat.” with the website’s URL.

She wants her project to have a lasting impact, and hopes that those who read the books she has collected will notice the stamp and pass them on to others.

Elaine is happy that her project touched so many lives, but she encourages those around her to realize they don’t need a big project to have a positive impact.

“There are different ways that you can make a difference,” Elaine says. “It doesn’t matter how big or small, as long as you made an impact on one person’s life. For me it’s thousands of books I donated to children, but also the ways I’ve helped people at my school by being a good friend to everyone.”

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Three Wesley Chapel Girls The First To Join New Boy Scouts Program

*Katherine Traynor and Paisley Murphy (left and back), both 11 years old, pose with 10-year-old Lexi Zink. The Wesley Chapel residents became members of Scouts BSA in February.* ***(Photo: Libby Baldwin)***

Wesley Chapel just got a serious dose of girl power.

As of last year, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) began accepting girls into its Cub Scouts program, designed for ages 5-10, in the hopes that more families will get involved in the 107-year-old program that fosters leadership and outdoor skills.

The Boy Scouts program that has traditionally served boys 11-17 years of age officially changed its name to “Scouts BSA” in February to reflect the program’s first-ever inclusion of girls, who can now “cross over” from Cub Scouts in February at age 11. The change also allows girls to be eligible to become Eagle Scouts, a coveted title which boosts college applications and offers scholarship opportunities.

Two of the five BSA divisions, Venturing (adventure activities for ages 14-17) and Exploring (career skills for ages 10-20), were already co-ed, but many parents have been lobbying for their girls’ chance to become Eagle Scouts for years.

“It shows that they have leadership skills, that they can multitask on projects and serve their community,” said Robert Hall, scoutmaster of Troop 33, which operates out of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church on Collier Pkwy in Land O’Lakes. “It’s about more than just checking the boxes; they have to be Eagles in their hearts, concerned with others besides themselves.”

Lexi Zink, second from left, awaits her turn to make a campaign speech to become the first ever female Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 34. (Photo: Libby Baldwin)

Scouts must achieve the Life rank (BSA’s highest rank), earn 21 merit badges and execute a corporate-level service project before getting a chance at Eagle. They are judged by an adult review board before a final decision is made. Only four percent of all Scouts achieve the honor.

Hall’s troop of 52 young men expanded by 40 members when another Troop, Troop 34, crossed over from Cub Scouts during a formal ceremony in February. Three girls from Wesley Chapel – Lexi Zink, Paisley Murphy and Katherine Traynor — were among 11 girls to make history.

“Scouts BSA really empowers our girls to be whatever they want to be, that they’re just as capable as the boys,” said Brandi Zink, Lexi’s mother. “It takes them out of their phones and outside, and in today’s world, the lessons they’re learning are priceless.”

Lexi — whom Hall describes as “scrappy and outgoing” — felt right at home from the beginning.

“It’s not any different for her, because she hangs out with boys anyway,” said Brandi, who serves as assistant scoutmaster in her daughter’s troop. “She did a lot of this stuff with her brother when he did scouts, and she was always right there with him, digging in the dirt, going on camping trips.”

Zink’s 13-year-old son, Caleb, helped develop Lexi’s fearless attitude, which is readily apparent, despite her unusually small stature. He and several other boys include Lexi in their bike rides to the park, basketball games and other outdoor activities.

“Girls are always just as good as boys,” said Lexi, who plays on a traveling lacrosse team with much older girls and hopes a college scholarship to play lacrosse will help her become a veterinarian. “If there’s something that the boys can do, we can do it too, and we can probably do it better.”

Sharing The Spirit Of Adventure

Paisley Murphy and Katherine Traynor, both 11, also are new Troop 33/34 members hailing from Wesley Chapel. Unlike Lexi, they transitioned from Girl Scouts, longing for more adventure.

“Being in Scouts BSA feels better, because Girl Scouts was pretty boring,” said Paisley, whose uncle was an Eagle Scout. “They sing, do arts and crafts, play hopscotch . . . I wanted to do archery, canoeing and horseback riding!”

Paisley invited a friend of hers to join too, but the friend’s mother wouldn’t allow it.

Brandi Zink says she has received some negative feedback for allowing her daughter to join Scouts BSA. A neighbor down her street disapproves of letting girls do “boy things”; the parents of one of Lexi’s girlfriends asked if Brandi was trying to take a political stand.

“I could care less about making a point; she’s doing this because she’s a natural-born leader and she wants to,” said Brandi. “She likes arts and crafts fine, but she would just rather be doing them outside with a saw and hammer, instead of inside with glitter and glue.”

Katherine, whose dad and uncle were Eagle Scouts, says that other girls who want to make the leap shouldn’t be afraid to follow their dreams.

“In Girl Scouts, all we did was talk about cookies and cookie sales,” Katherine said. “We had a choice between camping for three days and going to Legoland for just one day, and they chose Legoland. It was sad!”

Troop 33/34 is the only one in the greater Pasco County area so far to include girls, and the troop’s weekly Tuesday meeting on March 26 was election night; Scouts BSA meetings are run entirely by the scouts themselves.

Lesser positions, such as historian/scribe, consist only of the candidates standing at the front of the room and determining the winner by applause.

Two young men competed for historian; one of them, fresh out of Cub Scouts, shook hands after the older one was chosen; the younger boy congratulated the winner for a job well done.

“After the Cub Scouts cross over (to Scouts BSA), they leave an adult-run structure and become the decision makers themselves,” said Hall. “We have a patrol leader committee, which will have girls, too, when they get into the swing of things. (The committee) runs the meetings, decides what trips we’re going on, stuff like that.”

The troop’s last decision of the night? Senior Patrol Leader, also known as SPL. This top-dog position — one for the girls and one for the boys — is the person the group looks to for leadership, conflict resolution and anything else that may arise.

Normal requirements for SPL are to be ranked first class or above and be at least 14 years old; but because this is the first year for the girls, those requirements were waived for them. A new SPL is elected every six months.

Lexi hadn’t realized the rules didn’t apply to her; when she discovered she could run after all, she lit up from the inside, and confidently decided to run, despite no preparation time.

The tiny tomboy stood tall at the microphone, making up a speech on the spot as to why she was the right one for the job. She answered some very intense, thoughtful questions from the more experienced boys;the process was strikingly similar to a presidential town hall debate.

“To me, it’s not as if they’re girl or boy scouts; (they’re all) just scouts, and I’m not going to treat the girls differently,” said Hall. “All our girls want to be Eagles, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they all get there.”

Despite her last-minute candidacy, Lexi was swiftly elected the troop’s first-ever female SPL.

For more information about Scouts BSA Troop 33/34, call Tina Raymond at (727) 858-5885 or visit ladyrosary.org/cub-boy-scouts. For general information about Scouts BSA, visit Scouting.org/scoutsbsa/.

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Local Girl Scout Donates 4000 Books

Elaine Feaster (center) donated 1,700 books to Edison Elementary in Tampa as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award. She’s pictured here with (l.-r.) Hillsborough County assistant superintendent Dr. Larry Sykes, Judy O’Connoll (Elaine’s great aunt, who is the sister of Linda Jones, a former teacher at the school), Edison principal Marc Gaillard and secretary Barbara Williams.

New Tampa resident and Liberty Middle School seventh grade student Elaine Feaster wanted to get books into the hands of kids who may not have them, as a project for her Girl Scout Silver Award.

Now, after dedicating 60 hours to her initiative, she has donated a total of 4,000 books, thanks to the generosity of the New Tampa community.

On February 22, Elaine wrapped up her community service project by donating more than 1,700 books to Edison Elementary in North Tampa, in memory of her great aunt Linda Jones, who was a teacher at the school for many years and who championed literacy.

Over the 10 months of her project, Elaine received and donated:

• 1,500 books to Foster Elem.

• 1,700 to Edison Elem.

• 200 to the Salvation Army (cookbooks, religious materials, books for adults, etc.)

• 60 brand new books to Metropolitan Ministries at Christmas

• 50 middle-school level books to her own school, Liberty

• 400 books to the Parents & Children Advance Together (PCAT) family literacy program

“When she was beginning to plan the project in January 2017, she only expected to collect 500 books,” says Elaine’s mom, Jane Feaster, “so the community support has been very overwhelming.”

To earn her Silver Award, Elaine had to spend at least 50 community service hours on a project that will have a lasting impact on the community.

The Cadette in Troop 1247, which meets at St. James Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms, says she was inspired by the Girl Scout Law. “It says to make the world a better place, and I want to do that for kids in need.”

Elaine Feaster Girl Scouts

Local Girl Scout Has Donated More Than 1,500 Books…And Counting

New Tampa Girl Scout Cadette Elaine Feaster is collecting books to donate to kids in elementary schools who might not have any books at their homes.

Elaine Feaster is a seventh-grade student at Liberty Middle School in Tampa Palms who lives in Richmond Place.

She’s also a Cadette in Girl Scout Troop 1247 who believes in the Girl Scout Law. “It says to make the world a better place, and I want to do that for kids in need.”

She’s been a Girl Scout for five years, in a troop that meets at St. James Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms, and is comprised of 14 middle-school-aged girls from many different schools.

As a Cadette, she’s eligible to apply for the Girl Scout Silver Award, which requires her to complete 50 community service hours and to create a project that will have a lasting impact on the community.

So, she decided to collect books to help promote literacy, especially among underprivileged kids.

“We have to get the books in kids’ hands in elementary school when they’re eager to learn,” Elaine says. “It’s like riding a bike or learning to swim. You want to learn when you’re young.”

“I totally believe in what she’s doing,” says Elaine’s mom, Jane. “I was oblivious until Elaine started kindergarten at Clark Elementary and I overheard a teacher saying she had kids wanting to take books home because they don’t have any books at home. It blows my mind. It’s outrageous.”

In Elaine’s research, she says she found statistics such as this: Students who don’t read skillfully by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school; nearly 85 percent of youths who face trial in the court system are functionally illiterate; and the more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher the students’ reading levels.

So, Elaine teamed up with an organization called Parents & Children Advance Together (PCAT) family literacy program, which provides free programs to underserved children to help them learn to read.

At that time, Elaine collected about 175 books, just from word-of-mouth efforts, and donated them to PCAT.

As support for her project grew, Elaine had to consider how to manage collecting even larger numbers of books, so she asked the New Tampa Family YMCA (16221 Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms), where she and her family are members, if she could set up a donation bin. Now, thanks to the New Tampa Y’s support, anyone can drop off book donations for elementary school students there.

In just a couple of months, about 1,600 books were donated through that bin. After sorting out cookbooks, calculus books, and others that aren’t a good fit for elementary school kids, plus setting aside some early education books that would be helpful for PCAT, Elaine still had about 1,500 elementary- level books to donate.

She gave them to Foster Elementary in the Old Seminole Heights area of Tampa, where she says 98 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch.

“We actually donated more books than there are students,” Elaine says. “There are only about 500 kids, and we donated 1,500 books.” She says she was told the teachers would select appropriate books for their classes, so the students would be able to check them out from their classroom libraries to take them home and read, then bring them back for new books.

Elaine says she will continue to collect books at the collection bin until about January. While she’s currently only collecting books for elementary school reading levels, she encourages everyone to clean out their bookshelves and donate what they have to any local school or even the public library.

Elaine hopes to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award with her efforts for this project, then hopes to build on her project for the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest award in Girl Scouting and is available only for high school students.

She says since she dropped the books off at Foster Elementary in September, she has probably collected an additional 500 books. She will be identifying another school for the next round of donations.

“I just want to thank everyone in the community who has donated books so far,” she says. “When I started, I thought my goal would be about 500 books. I didn’t expect more than that, but everyone in this community is so caring. Because you donated a book, a child can be a doctor or really successful in life.”

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