MADISON – Aspiring newcomers enjoyed a taste (literally) of one of Madison’s most popular youth organizations when prospective and active Girls Scouts and their leaders met for the annual recruitment session.

“We had a great recruiting event on Aug. 11 at Asbury Church. So far, we have 70 girls who have requested to be in troops,” Beth Crocker said. Crocker is Troop Leader for Girl Scout Troop 10708 and spokesperson for Madison troops.

“Since the beginning of the recruitment season, we have had over 75 girls ask to be put in one of our MadCity (City of Madison) troops,” Crocker said. “We will end up starting six or seven new troops to accommodate that number.”

While the figures have grown since, as of May 2024 the City of Madison had 36 Girl Scout Troops with 413 Scouts.

“At our event, the girls got to roast marshmallows and make s’mores, which were invented by Girl Scouts. They also tried some Girl Scout cookies,” Crocker said.

“The girls made a ‘SWAP,’ a ‘Special Whatchamacallit Affectionately Pinned.’ The SWAP is an old tradition for Girl Scouts that we still participate in today,” Crocker said. “They also played outdoor games.”

Other sessions included “signing thank-you cards for each elementary school to thank them for allowing us to be a part of their Open House, and we had several stations of STEM-building activities,” Crocker said.

Participants at the recruitment event immediately rekindled established friendships and started bonding with newfound buddies. Some of the girls who were excited to attend included sixth-graders Emma Balch and Annie Balch; fifth-graders Sylvia Boyd, Barrett Mayer and Ellie Turner; and third-grader Roisin Mayer.

Their leader is Colleen Turner, who also serves as Service Unit Manager “or ‘leader of all leaders’ in Madison. Colleen Turner is a young leader in a ‘flex troop,’ which means they have more than one level in her one troop,” Crocker said.

Older scouts led groups of girls around to each station at the event. “Colleen and I took parents into the auditorium to explain what Girl Scouts is and answer any questions,” Crocker said.

Crocker plans to continue to place girls in troops as long as she gets requests.

The first city event for Madison will be ICE, Indoor Camping Experience for younger Scouts to introduce tent-sleeping. This fall, older scouts will go to Butter and Egg Adventures in Troy for a ‘high adventure,’ named for wilderness training.

“Younger scouts will head to our Girl Scout-owned camp on Lake Guntersville in the spring for their own encampment,” Crocker said.

For more information, email Crocker at betty82402@gmail.com or visit girlscoutsnca.org.