In the early 1990s, Nancy Cash-Cobb’s daughter Sara decided she wanted to be Girl Scout, and her mother told her “I’ll be the leader as long as you want to do it.”
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| Windham Girl Scout Troop 704 that met on Thursday afternoons at Windham Elementary School for 12 years until 2004 went on trips to a variety of places including Washington, D.C. where they met U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe, back row far left, and Susan Collins, back row far right. Former Scout Mia Perron, front row, third from left, was a member of that troop and attended a troop reunion on July 27 at Crescent Lake in Raymond. COURTESY PHOTO |
The girls, who are now 38- to 40-year-old women, have moved on, some have moved to other states, some have careers, and some are married with children. But the bonds of their Girl Scout adventures and experiences continue, and on Sunday, July 27, a number of the former Scouts and their former leaders gathered at Cash-Cobb’s home on Crescent Lake in Raymond to catch up, reminisce and make new memories.
Barbara Phinney, the assistant troop leader, came up with the idea for the reunion, Cash-Cobb said. Although the reunion wasn’t as well attended as she had hoped for, with only six scouts returning, still, Cash-Cobb said, “we had a good time.”
The reuniting Scouts agreed.
“The reunion was great!” former Scout member Mia Perron said. The married, 40-year-old Westbrook resident who works at Unum and plays violin and acts in her spare time said, “while our numbers were small, our Girl Scout pride was mighty! We looked at pictures, talked about our favorite experiences, and shared where we are now - kids, careers, life.”
Cash-Cobb said, she and other parent volunteers took the girls on many adventures through the years.
“We went to New York City and (Washington) D.C. and we went to Europe.” The troop also met some interesting people from an astronaut to Maine’s U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. The girls and their leaders held fundraisers to help pay for trips. We made and sold a lot of spaghetti and meatballs meals.”
She said the Scouts also participated in community service activities from volunteering at an animal shelter to helping out at soup kitchens.
As she reminisced, Perron said, “one thing that really struck me as I looked back … on these childhood experiences through the eyes of an adult was how much work my troop leaders put into cultivating these incredible experiences for us. I looked at a picture of us covered in mud and holding up starfish and thought how much work must have gone into bringing a dozen girls camping on a Maine island. I laugh at a photo of myself ‘tied’ into my seat at a Broadway show (I'm afraid of heights and those balconies are steep) and I can't imagine herding these inquisitive, excited girls through the streets of Times Square. Not only did they guide us through incredible experiences, it also helped us face adversity – like the time I toppled down the stairs at the Hard Rock Cafe in D.C. and broke my ankle one day into our trip. Did the girls let that slow us down? Never! I got pushed, pulled, and carried all over the city by determined and diligent girls who wouldn't let me miss a single experience.”
Being a Girl Scout, Perron said, was a very positive and important part of her growing-up experience.
“The leadership opportunities I had as a Girl Scout, whether leading younger troops or organizing events, gave me confidence that carried into my career,” she said. “The emphasis on helping others shaped my values, and the problem-solving skills I learned have been invaluable throughout my life. To this day, I seek out opportunities to give back to my community. This week, my Unum coworkers and I made dinner for residents at the Ronald McDonald House. Last year, I raised over $1,000 for the Maine Cancer Society participating in ‘Tri for a Cure’. Those values were nurtured through Scouts.”
Perron said she still is good friends, and in close contact with some of her former troop members but not all of them.
She attended the event because, “I wanted to reconnect and see the women what the girls of my memories have become. There's something special about people who knew you during those important growing-up years.”
Another Girl Scout Troop 704 reunion is planned for next year.
“I hope in future years, we are able to reach more girls who are women now,” Perron said. “I would love to hear about their lives, careers, families, and how scouting shaped their journeys.”
To find out about next year’s reunion event, call Nancy Cash-Cobb at 207-671-7064. <
“The reunion was great!” former Scout member Mia Perron said. The married, 40-year-old Westbrook resident who works at Unum and plays violin and acts in her spare time said, “while our numbers were small, our Girl Scout pride was mighty! We looked at pictures, talked about our favorite experiences, and shared where we are now - kids, careers, life.”
Cash-Cobb said, she and other parent volunteers took the girls on many adventures through the years.
“We went to New York City and (Washington) D.C. and we went to Europe.” The troop also met some interesting people from an astronaut to Maine’s U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. The girls and their leaders held fundraisers to help pay for trips. We made and sold a lot of spaghetti and meatballs meals.”
She said the Scouts also participated in community service activities from volunteering at an animal shelter to helping out at soup kitchens.
As she reminisced, Perron said, “one thing that really struck me as I looked back … on these childhood experiences through the eyes of an adult was how much work my troop leaders put into cultivating these incredible experiences for us. I looked at a picture of us covered in mud and holding up starfish and thought how much work must have gone into bringing a dozen girls camping on a Maine island. I laugh at a photo of myself ‘tied’ into my seat at a Broadway show (I'm afraid of heights and those balconies are steep) and I can't imagine herding these inquisitive, excited girls through the streets of Times Square. Not only did they guide us through incredible experiences, it also helped us face adversity – like the time I toppled down the stairs at the Hard Rock Cafe in D.C. and broke my ankle one day into our trip. Did the girls let that slow us down? Never! I got pushed, pulled, and carried all over the city by determined and diligent girls who wouldn't let me miss a single experience.”
Being a Girl Scout, Perron said, was a very positive and important part of her growing-up experience.
“The leadership opportunities I had as a Girl Scout, whether leading younger troops or organizing events, gave me confidence that carried into my career,” she said. “The emphasis on helping others shaped my values, and the problem-solving skills I learned have been invaluable throughout my life. To this day, I seek out opportunities to give back to my community. This week, my Unum coworkers and I made dinner for residents at the Ronald McDonald House. Last year, I raised over $1,000 for the Maine Cancer Society participating in ‘Tri for a Cure’. Those values were nurtured through Scouts.”
Perron said she still is good friends, and in close contact with some of her former troop members but not all of them.
She attended the event because, “I wanted to reconnect and see the women what the girls of my memories have become. There's something special about people who knew you during those important growing-up years.”
Another Girl Scout Troop 704 reunion is planned for next year.
“I hope in future years, we are able to reach more girls who are women now,” Perron said. “I would love to hear about their lives, careers, families, and how scouting shaped their journeys.”
To find out about next year’s reunion event, call Nancy Cash-Cobb at 207-671-7064. <
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