Behind a cookie stand in front of a grocery store are Girl Scouts who value friendship, skill development, leadership and hard work. Belonging to Troop 585, sophomore Delaney Knight has been a participant in Girl Scouts of America since she was six years old. Now at senior level, Knight is now working to earn her gold award, complete journeys, and make a difference in her community.

Her passion for the organization began the moment it was first introduced to her in kindergarten by her long-time best friend, sophomore Madeline Trujillo.

“It was an invite from my friend’s mom, since she was going to be the leader,” Knight said. “My mom told me briefly what we do and she said we would [earn] badges and [do] activities every meeting. It sounded interesting and I was in kindergarten and not really doing anything, so I joined.”

Since February, Knight has also participated in Boy Scouts of America with Trujillo. While she hasn’t been there long, Knight has navigated the new ranking system, traditions, and skills that come with being a boy scout. With all these new and different experiences, she can’t deny that boy scouts definitely get treated differently than Girl Scouts do.

“People only think of Girl Scouts as the people who sell cookies or do sewing or cooking badges, but it’s more than that,” Knight said. “Boy Scouts are more known for doing the ‘hard stuff’ when really both Girl and Boy Scouts are doing the same things, but in a different way. In middle school Maddie never told anyone she was in Girl Scouts out of fear of being judged. She only became comfortable with telling people when we both joined Boy Scouts because people react differently.”

Badges and patches are earned when a Girl Scout completes skill building activities, events and programs. Knight currently has earned eleven badges with the most recent being the paddling badge.

“People usually think of it like you do the thing and you get the badge, but there’s a lot more to it,” Knight said. “I get motivated to earn badges by picking out ones that are interesting to me. Recently, I did the paddling badge, which had you learn about canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding. I hadn’t done kayaking in a while, so it was really hard to get used to paddling. I got frustrated sometimes because it was really hard to turn the kayak around and I kept having to take breaks because my arms were sore. I don’t usually get burned out doing badges, but I knew I might get burnt out working on that.”

While she has enjoyed participating in the organization, the effects of the pandemic almost resulted in Knight quitting altogether. 

“During COVID-19, I lost motivation because I wanted to work on my Silver Award,” Knight said. “I wanted to do it with other people in my troop. Before I could start on the Silver Award, most of the people in my troop left because they no longer had interest in Girl Scouts or they got really busy.” 

Famous Girl Scout Infographic by Kailie Sicolo [STUDENT]

Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Knight chose to stay in Girl Scouts and pursue her goals in the organization.

“The thing that ultimately made me want to stay in Girl Scouts when Covid was happening was the Gold Award,” Knight said. “When I first heard about the three main awards, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, I knew that I wanted to do all of them but mostly the Gold Award. I got my motivation back when our troop started doing more things and we could meet in person again.”

Knight’s troop also participates in journeys, which are multi-session experiences similar to a field trip. Girl Scouts are expected to participate in hands-on activities and learn from experts in order to enhance their skills. 

“When you do a journey you do a small project at the end called a ‘Take Action’ project that is meant to make a difference,” Knight said. “We did the ‘Sow What?’ journey, which explained food systems and in the project we created a way to change these food systems. One idea I had would be to make an area or container in the cafeteria where students can put food they don’t want to eat and other students can take them if they want so there is less waste with food.” 

Being with her throughout her journey, Trujillo has watched Knight shape into the Girl Scout she is today.

“She’s learned some entrepreneurial and social skills by selling Girl Scout cookies, and she’s been able to try and enjoy new things she’s never really tried before,” Trujillo said. “She’s grown as a strong worker and has learned perseverance and how to follow through. Girl Scouts has helped Delaney grow into a kind hearted, creative, and hard working person.”

With all the positive experiences she has with the organization, Knight has no desire to leave Girl Scouts anytime soon. 

“I want to stay in Girl Scouts until the end of high school because it will benefit me for my whole life,” Knight said. “The skills I learn from each badge are very important to me and I am already using these skills in my life now. In Girl Scouts you also have the chance to make a difference in your community through many different projects that you can do as a troop or individually.”