Published: August 31, 2009 09:08 am      

Girls’ night out

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Daises, Brownies and Girl Scouts from across the region were invited to the Barbourville Water Park Friday evening for a luau pool party that hopes to — as the old scouting adage goes — “make new friends but keep the old.”

“It’s recruitment and retention,” said Girl Scout membership specialist Cathy Eldahan of Friday’s event. “We have girls who are returning to Girl Scouts and they’re invited, and we also put flyers out in the schools and on the radio and other announcements to invite new girls and try to build Girl Scouting in all the areas that Rachel (Newton) and I work in.”

Newton is a membership specialist for Lee, Owsley, Clay and the Whitley-Corbin areas. Eldahan works to recruit troops in Bell, Knox, Harlan and the Whitley-Williamsburg region.

“Whitley-Williamsburg is an underserved area right now,” Eldahan said. “Dewitt Elementary, Flat Lick Elementary, G.R. Hampton and Central Elementary here in Knox County, we don’t have any (troops) right now, so we’re hoping to get some new troops at those schools this year.”

It’s not necessarily a lack of interested girls — Eldahan and Newton said the hardest thing is recruiting troop leaders.

“We don’t have any troops at West Knox or Oak Grove (elementaries,)” Newton added. “We had troops last year, but we don’t have any returning.”

Troop leaders are often parents of member girls, but they don’t have to be. Grandparents and other interested community leaders, such as teachers, can lead troops. Eldahan said Girl Scouting experience is not required to be a troop leader.

The new membership year starts Oct. 1. Scouts and troops are asked to register before that date.

For more information on Girl Scouting in the Tri-County, contact the London Girl Scouts Service Center at 606-878-8535. Girl Scouting is open to girls ages 5-17.