It’s that time of year again; Girl Scout cookie season. For two Community High Girl Scouts, selling cookies is just one part of the experience.

Senior Christine Hagan and sophomore Megan Bialek both agree that being a Girl Scout in high school is

difficult. The combination of school, homework, and athletics already provide little opportunity for other social activity, so it is no surprise that there are fewer high school girls participating.

“They are really flexible about it… because we are in high school they understand [our busy schedules]. [We] don’t have to go every week,” said Bialek.

Although Bialek has found it easy to balance her schedule and Girl Scouts, Hagan finds it to be challenging.

“We have a lot of variation in participation,” said Hagan. “It just depends on how involved you want to be, and how involved you are in other things. The main reason I don’t go to meetings is my softball schedule.”

Being a Girl Scout presents other challenges besides time management. Both agree that sometimes being a Scout has been looked down upon as they get older, and can sometimes make a situation uncomfortable when people ask questions, but they enjoy it enough to continue.

“It is something that I enjoy, so I really don’t care what other people think,” said Hagan. Both have been Scouts since first grade. Although the girls who participate have changed over the years, Bialek and Hagan are the few who have partook in the activities consistently. Girl Scouts means a lot to both Bialek and Hagan, it has been a part of their lives for so long that they find more connection to it.

Hagan experiences the majority of her scouting through a program called Mackinaw Island Honor Scouts. She spends six months training and preparing in order to stay for one week each summer on Mackinaw Island.

“Our main duties are to raise and lower flags around the island, as well as work at the fort, so we work as guides of sorts; [we are] just there for the tourists to ask us questions,” said Hagan.

This service is a large part of the summer for Hagan, seeing as it is something she looks forward to all year, and all of the hard work has paid off; this year she will be a Senior Patrol Leader.

As a Senior Patrol Leader, Hagan makes sure that all the younger Patrol Leaders have made sure their Scouts know the basics, including how to raise and lower flags and how to march. Much of Hagan’s responsibilities as a Senior Patrol Leader take place at the training sessions.

Unfortunately, Hagan has to make the decision between visiting Mackinaw or going to the first week of classes at Wooster. Hagan remains undecided.

“Nobody really looks forward to starting classes that much, but I’m excited but I don’t want to miss my last year of Mackinaw,” said Hagan.

She said that it would change her entire outlook on summer because it is something she has been doing for so long.

“I really don’t want to miss either thing,” she laughed.

Bialek has had an entirely different experience. She is able to attend meetings more regularly, and she does the main part of her scouting, during the school year. This is more of a traditional approach to being a scout than Hagan. Bialek has found that as she gets older, responsibilities grow and evolve, both in Girl Scouts and in life. She said that her troupe has been more in control of activities including volunteer work than in past years.

Something that Bialek enjoys is the annual Girl Scout get together, where the older troupes help the younger troupes receive badges and awards. It is a time for the older troupes to reach out and get to know the younger troupes, and help their love for scouting grow.

Bialek has also participated in troupes from different places, including one abroad in Sweden. Because all of these have been American troupes, she recalls them being similar. The shift from different schools, which can be a breaking point for many girls and troupes, hasn’t been an issue for Bialek. This might be because her mom started the troupe and was her troupe leader which made it easier for Bialek to continue.

Both girls conclude that Girl Scouts is something that has benefited their resume with college.

“When I did my interview with the college that I am planning on attending, Wooster, [the interviewer] said… they look very highly on Girl Scouts,” said Hagan, who has already completed the application process.

Scholarships are also offered to Girl Scouts, including some that are specific for certain universities. While Hagan didn’t apply for many just available to Scouts, she said being a scout has helped when applying for community service scholarships. Bialek just applied for a scholarship that is affected by her activities as a Girl Scout.

Scholarships, new friendships and community service are just some of the many benefits of continuing Girl Scouts. Responsibilities, including time helping younger troupes and important summer activities, are all part of what makes being an older scout worth while. Bialek and Hagan would not want to trade their time as a scout for anything.