We had a fund raising event a couple of weeks ago, and a longtime
Girl Scout, Dianne Belk, came with her husband. Dianne grew up poor on a cotton farm in
Mississippi. She wanted to be a Girl
Scout, but her family could not afford it, so her mother said she could earn
the money by selling the eggs from one of their hens. Dianne wanted to be a Girl Scout so badly
that she collected those eggs, carefully
washed them and walked them a mile to the store where the grocer purchased them
from her. She learned to have
confidence as a Girl Scout.
Dianne went to college with $5 and her clothes in a brown
paper bag. She went on to be one of the
first women industrial engineers in the United States. Dianne was so successful that she was able
to retire early. She and her husband
will leave a large portion of their estate to the Girl Scouts, because being a
Girl Scout changed her life, and she changed the world.
One of our favorite recent stories is about a girl who wanted
to be a Girl Scout. Her mother said
they could not afford the cost. She
convinced her mother she wanted to be a Girl Scout, so her mother allowed her
to use all the money in her piggy bank to join. During the cookie program she sold more than
180 boxes of cookies. We don't know,
but maybe she will be the next Dianne Belk.
Even if she isn't, because of her experience she will be a girl of
confidence, character, and courage who will leave the world a better place.
If you have a great story that you would like for us to
share, please share it with us at communications@girlscoutssa.org.
