What:  Past, Present and Future of Girl Scouts and You

When:  Sunday, Jan. 29, starting at 2 p.m.

Where:  North Dining Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington

FARMINGTON — Camping, cookie sales and activities geared toward helping girls become strong women leaders has beckoned young girls to join a local Girl Scout troop for the past 100 years, officials say.

It’s no different today.

There are girls in the local area, the Sandy River chapter of Girl Scouts, who are interested and want to participate in scouting, Sarah Chapman, Girl Scouts of Maine membership manager, said Monday.

Now it’s time to recruit more adults to either help, start a troop or lead short-term programs for local girls, she said.

“We’ve really struggled in the Sandy River area,” she said of attempts to recruit leaders. “There’s a lot of interest from girls and families. It’s just difficult to find adults to help.”

Girl Scout officials have planned a different approach to their recruiting efforts and invite adults, men, women, grandparents, college students, anyone older than 18 years and out of high school, to an event to learn more about scouting activities and how people can help.

The event, “Past, Present, Future of Girl Scouts and You,”  begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, in the North Dining Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington. All are welcome to come browse different stations that highlight the past, present and future of Girl Scouting, chat with leaders and scouts and win door prizes.

As the Girl Scout organization celebrates it’s 100th anniversary this year, the past station will focus on who Girl Scouts are and why they are and introduce their founder, Juliette Low.

The present station includes displays of some things local scouts are working on or have accomplished with some scouts there to answer questions.

The future station includes information on how to be involved and the ways to make a difference in these young girls lives.

“Being a volunteer is not only being a leader for a troop. There are other ways to be involved,” she said.

A leader from Portland will share information on a scout travel opportunity, called Destinations, for middle age and older scouts that can take them all over the United States and to international places.

She has a troop in Portland of mostly first-generation immigrants who are high school students and will present ideas on how to use skills to help those scouts raise money to make a trip possible, Chapman said.

Chapman is about to start a four-week troop sampler in Farmington called Discovering Daisies for Kindergarten and first-graders that will take place after school on Mondays at the Mallett School, she said. There’s definitely interest on the girls’ part but finding leadership is difficult.

Another large Daisy troop started last year with some great leaders but it’s large enough for the new leaders, she said.

Another large troop of more than girls combines different levels, Brownies, Juniors and above. Two troops combined when a leader was lost. Girls from Wilton and New Portland travel to join Farmington girls and participate, she said.

Plans for the 100-year celebration include an anniversary event in Skowhegan in April for anyone involved in scouting in Franklin, Somerset and Kennebec counties. Any memorabilia, including old uniforms or badges that anyone would like to include in displays for the celebration, are welcome to call Chapman at 877-4147 or toll free, 1-888-922-4763.

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