Girl Scouts

It was more than a month ago that Denise McDonald walked into a West Baltimore outreach center with a friend who needed help with a drug problem. While talking to a counselor there, she learned about the after-school program for girls. She knew what she had to do next."Everywhere I go, when I know there's a group of girls meeting, I come and ask if I can start a Girl Scout troop," said the 31-year-old, who began recruiting Brownies and Girl Scouts for the Central Maryland chapter five years ago. "If they say yes, I go back and start it."

Turned out prettily in their green and brown uniforms, thousands of Girl Scouts and Brownies are taking to the Maryland streets this week to deliver their Girl Scout cookies. They will smile sweetly, greet you graciously and demand cash on the barrelhead.Cookie sales are intended to teach youngsters the rudiments of business, marketing and public relations. Now the scouts are learning about deadbeats as well.Stuck with nearly $24,000 in bounced checks from its cookie sales last year, the Girl Scout Council of Central Maryland instructed its troops not to accept personal checks during this fall's sales.

LOS ANGELES -- Members of a suburban Van Nuys Girl Scout troop who showed up for a shopping trip at the Northridge Fashion Square were at first denied entry by security officials enforcing a policy designed to prevent gang violence.Mall officials say the guards were just doing their jobs, but the leader of Troop 823 said yesterday that the scouts deserve an apology."The guard said a group with more than three people was a gang. I said 'Do we look like a gang? Look at these girls, we have adults here, they are clean cut and they have lots of supervision,' " said troop leader Lois Young.

EIGHT HAMPSTEAD Girl Scouts received the President's Student Service Award from President Clinton for volunteering a combined 650 hours to community service in the past year. It was the first presidential award for service given to Girl Scouts in our community. The recipients were: Diana Hoffman, Melanie Passmore, Jenny Pitt, Kelly Rogers, Renee Rogers, Kim Spencer, Jessica Sullivan and Melissa Warren of Cadette Troop 1647. Each received a certificate, letter from the president and commemorative pin from the White House.

Kathy Haycraft's 6-year-old sister, Elizabeth, was drowning at the Towson YMCA pool, and their mother was too far away to do anything but scream for help.Keeping her composure, the spirited 10-year-old threw her sister a barbell floating device, floated to the deep end of the pool where her sister had drifted and managed to pull her safely to the side.The rescue occurred on Sept. 12, 1990, during Kathy's first swimming lesson.Her act of heroism was recognized last night by the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

Seven Carroll County girls recently earned the Girl Scouts' highest honor, the Gold Award, for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning and personal development. Senior Girl Scouts working toward the Gold Award must complete five requirements related to the above areas, including spending at least 50 hours planning and implementing a Girl Scout service project that has a positive and lasting effect on the community. The Carroll recipients are: Laura Ciborowski: Troop 509. A graduate of Glenelg High School, she did her project on "Bringing Kids Together."

NOW THAT the holidays are over, it's fun to look back at the good times and the giving.Philomena DeVito, leader of Girl Scout Cadet Troop 1617, says it was a busy season for her troop on both counts.Recently, the girls spent the night at Savage United Methodist Church.The event was a sleep-over, with two adult leaders -- DeVito and Toni Vollmerhausen.The seven girls did all the planning and shopping, DeVito said."They're at the age where they require no real help; just an adult around, in case," she said.

MARYANN KULESZ, coordinator for the Girl Scout troops sponsored by St. Philip Neri Parish, says registration is now going on for girls interested in joining for the first time."

Tomorrow is "Thinking Day" in North Carroll for Girl Scouts who, like fellow Scouts across the nation, will spend the day working to improve international understanding by examining world cultures.The national Thinking Day is held every February, coinciding with the birthday of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouting.Every year, Hampstead and Manchester Scouts plan a group event.This year, through songs, dance, skits, foods and displays, six Brownie and Junior troops will illustrate another place in the world where they would find sister Girl Scouts.

CHRISTINE SARBANES, wife of Maryland's senior U.S. senator, Paul Sarbanes, was the honorary chairwoman of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland's 1997 Distinguished Women event, held at the American Visionary Arts Museum. More than 300 people came to the party held to honor Lynne Battaglia, U.S. attorney for Maryland, and Judge Diana Motz, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.Lisa Cid, executive director of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, and Sandy McNeal, president of the organization, were among those in attendance.