DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9710010178

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   66 lines

GIRL SCOUTS ARE SEEKING LEADERS - FEMALE AND MALE

Girls Scouts in Suffolk are looking for a few good women - and men - so that waiting lists of potential Scouts can be converted into troop rosters.

In the last four years the number of Girl Scouts in Suffolk has almost doubled, rising from 282 in 1993 to a current membership of almost 500 girls.

This year could have seen an even larger increase, but a shortage of volunteer adult leaders has curtailed the establishment of more new troops. The adult Girl Scout ranks increased only from 89 to 113 volunteers.

``Last year we had 39 troops that were active and there has been increased interest over the summer so that if everything goes as planned we should grow to 46 troops this year, but not in the Northern Shores or Oakland areas where the population is expanding,'' Dorothy Cogswell said. Cogswell is the local service unit coordinator and outreach recruiter for Suffolk.

In the fast growing Northern Shores area there are 14 girls on a waiting list, hoping to become Brownies, and five older girls who want to become junior Girl Scouts but, so far, no adults have come forward to volunteer their time as leaders.

``Right now we have no troops meeting at Oakland elementary but we know there is interest in having Daisy and Brownie troops there,'' Cogswell said. Nansemond Parkway and Mount Zion elementary schools are also without troops because of a lack of leader volunteers.

Girls can join Girl Scouts by becoming Daisies when they are in kindergarten. They then move up to Brownies during the first through third grades. Next, it's Juniors during the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Cadettes are for the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. High school students are Seniors until they graduate.

Brenda Lester became a Brownie leader last year at Elephant's Fork elementary when her daughter, Brittany, wanted to be a Girl Scout. With one other leader, Lester took on a troop of 30 girls.

``I just could not turn any girls away,'' she said.

Aiming for more time for individual attention, Lester split the Brownie troop into two troops this year and volunteered as a leader for both. Then her daughter Rachel started kindergarten and wanted to be a Daisy, so Lester took on a Daisy troop as well.

``I did it because we just didn't have enough volunteers and I had promised Rachel she could be a Daisy,'' Lester said.

Cogswell identifies with the girls who want to be Scouts but have no troop to join. As a girl she always wanted to be a Scout but was never able to until she became active as an adult 21 years ago.

``Although activities like sports and music and dance lessons are good, Girl Scouts offer wider learning and travel opportunities for girls and often interplay with other activities,'' Cogswell said.

In Suffolk, Girl Scout troops generally meet in schools, churches, or civic halls in the late afternoon or early evening.

Although an adult leader's time commitment will vary from troop to troop, Cogswell estimated that a volunteer leader needs to commit a minimum of six hours a month.

Leaders need to be at least 18 years old, male or female, and willing to complete an application and reference checking process as well as a three-stage, free, leader training course. MEMO: For more informtion about Girl Scouts in Suffolk or to volunteer

as a leader or helper, call Cogswell at 539-2562. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Brenda Lester, center, works with a group of Girl Scouts at

Elephant's Fork Elementary School.

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