Girl Scouts of Muskogee

On Friday morning, I woke up sicker than I have been in quite some time. I even had to take the day off of school! After spending the entire day in bed, I wasn’t sure how I would make it to the Girl Scouts of Muskogee on Saturday morning – but I did know I would find a way to power through!

Saturday morning, I woke up feeling a bit better – but definitely not great. I was so weak from a lack of nutrients, that I had to ask a neighbor to help carry my bag down. Yikes. As I began the hour-long drive, I realized I had passed Muskogee and we were a bit beyond Ft. Gibson. A Girl Scout troop leader met me at a gas station, and I followed her about 12 miles down a winding road, filled with the greenest of trees. I wonder how Green Country got its name….

 

We eventually turned down a dirt road, which continued for a few more miles, and led us to the Girl Scout camp grounds. These girls take camping seriously!!! The camp grounds had several cabins and sat near a lake, surrounded by lush forest. I even saw deer roaming when I drove in! (Though, my home has a deer feeder in the front yard, so I suppose I come from somewhat of a rural area of Oklahoma!) The troops came from Muskogee, Tahlequah, and surrounding towns – just to hear me speak! The middle school students were a bit shy at first, but warmed up quickly by providing answers and asking incredibly thoughtful questions.

Speaking with these troops, we had an amazing conversation about the bully circle and what roles we have experienced, with examples. Towards the end of my presentation, many girls had questions and I encouraged other troop members to think back on our discussion and see if they could problem solve a few solutions or responses. It was amazing to see them work issues out on their own with the feedback I had given.

Gifts galore of sweet treats!

The troops were so kind to invite me to speak (they even created a flyer to advertise it!!!), and gave me the sweetest gift as I left! I now own a Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma bag to travel with, and it was filled with Girl Scout cookies (yum!), another bag, notepads, pens, a 100 Years of Girl Scouts bracelet, and much, much more! Thank you, Girl Scouts of Muskogee and Eastern Oklahoma, for sharing a wonderful afternoon with me! It is a trip I will not soon forget!!

Swimsuit ready for Miss O!

*On the way back to Shawnee (a good three hours!), I saw a Jeep with a Chi Omega sticker (how funny – just like my friend Kristin‘s – who lives in Nashville!). Wow, it even has an Indiana license plate like Kristin’s! What are the odds?! As I drove past the Jeep, I realized…IT IS KRISTIN!

Kristin dances with Nashville ballet and we became the best of friends as sorority presidents at OU. We both took the next exit and I was SO SO SO excited to chat with her and give her a great big hug! I knew she was coming to Oklahoma and that we would not get a chance to see each other. What are the odds that she and I would be driving from Ft. Gibson and Nashville, at the exact same time, on I-40? Fated friends. Here we are:

Three Times the Fun – Troop #753, #1030 and #960

After a full day of teaching, a staff meeting, and a curriculum meeting I threw on a fresh blazer and pinned my crown into my hair. As I was racing out of the school to my car, another teacher stopped me to comment on how literally I must take the idea of “wearing multiple hats.”

She hit the nail on the head! I love the diversity of my days because there is never a dull moment. Maybe I have to keep a spare outfit in my car (I can’t even begin to explain the possibilities of what might happen to me during school), but this is the life of Miss Oklahoma and Miss America. There is no down time and you absolutely must be prepared for whatever might come your way!

Girl Scouts and Miss Green Country

Wednesday, January 25th held my second appearance of three in a mere seven days. I am overjoyed by the responses to It Has A Name: Relational Aggression, and the interest taken by each student group. Brownie Girl Scout troop #753 and Girl Scout troops #1030 and #960 were no exception! This group consisted of about 20 third, fourth and fifth grade girls – each at a point in their lives where relational aggression is starting to become more noticeable and confusing.

Each had brilliant thoughts about why relational aggression occurs and how a bully gets to that point. They loved our telephone game and giggled excitedly at the difference between the original sentence and the final words. Their concerns varied, and I received excellent questions about followers and gossip. Several had stories about being the target or bystander, and it never fails to hurt my heart when I hear about such wonderful young leaders being the point of a joke.

With every student group I speak to, I gain an even deeper understanding of my own experiences as well. There are so many occurrences they are brave enough to speak about, reminding me of my own childhood. It is with this that I have realized time, fashion, and technology have changed – but relational aggression has not.

These sweet angels decorated a chalk board in preparation for my visit (it was adorable!!!), and gave me a lovely card along with GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! The new Savannah Smiles are a delicious lemon cookie dipped in powdered sugar, and I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t have that box opened the minute I go to the car.

Thank you SO much, Troop #753, #1030 and #960! What a joy to speak with!

Norman Girl Scouts

Today I visited another group of students – the Norman Girl Scouts! Growing up, I wasn’t involved in Girl Scouts and I learned quite a bit today. Here are a few fun facts about the Girl Scouts of America:

• There are more than 3.7 million members.
• This is the 99th year of Girl Scouts.
• The motto is “Be Prepared.” (My motto too!)
• The levels include Daisies (Kindergarten/5 years), Brownies (6-9 years), Juniors (9-11), Cadets (11-14) and Seniors (14-17).

I had no idea the Girl Scouts had been scouting for nearly 100 years! Of course, I’ve always known them, like much of America, for those delicious, pageant diet-hurting, fantastically made cookies. What can I say? When it comes to the Girl Scout cookies….I’m a goner! Today I was able to speak to a troop of Brownies and Juniors about my platform. I met the girls at Jackson Elementary in Norman and they were absolutely exuberant with energy and curiosity. 

After spending an hour with them, I knew I had to search for more troops of this nature. The Girl Scouts are ideal to encourage with information about relational aggression and how we can stop it in our schools, particularly since their pledge consists of respecting others, being friendly and fair, courageous and strong, considerate and caring, and responsible for what they say and do. Girl Scouts are instilled with leadership from day one! The girls were extremely interested in my platform and paid close attention to each detail discussed. Normally, I stand in front of a group and speak, but with this troop I was able to sit in a large circle with them, which allowed for more comfortable and open dialogue. 

After my program, the girls ALL wanted my autograph! They were so sweet to tell me how much they hoped I would become Miss Oklahoma and if so, how they would stay up all night watching Miss America. 🙂 Today, I had some different requests though! While they all wanted my autograph, two asked me to sign rocks. I’ve never signed a rock before, so that was a first!! One even said it was her lucky rock and she knew it would be even luckier with my “autograph.”

Ready for an even stranger request? Several of the girls had stuffed animals (who also requested an autograph – my favorite was when I wrote one for Cookie the kangaroo – “Hop to stop bullying, Cookie!“). One Girl Scout brought a rubber snake (imagine the look of panic when I saw that thing on the floor!), and requested that Miss Sooner State sign the snake! Fortunately, I’m no longer afraid of fake snakes and was able to grant her wish. That’s my kind of adventurous!

Days like this remind me that “celebrities,” no matter if we are past the “D” list, are still looked up to and thought so highly about. That is one reason I believe in the Miss America Organization and the power of being Miss America. Kids of all ages, genders and ethnicities need role models and some of the “A” listers are not who I would want the girls I spoke to today aspiring to become. I’m not perfect, but I have a powerful message and desire to do good while striving to become who God intended for me to be and that is exactly what America’s youth need.