On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in a Rancho San Clemente home overlooking the coast, seven lifelong friends sat around and caught up for potentially the last time as a large, organized group.
Their connection goes as far back as the late 1940s, when, at around the age of 6, they began their time in the Girl Scouts organization in the San Gabriel Valley as part of Brownie Troop 8.
Numbering as many as 18, the group of former Girl Scouts went to numerous camps together and forged bonds that survived up to the present day.
However, as all are now in their early 80s and live around the country, the group has come to agree that their March 12 meetup is likely a good stopping point after roughly 20 reunions in the last 60 years.
Jackie Taylor, from San Gabriel, spoke about why they prioritize organizing the reunions.
“We’re all so spread out,” she said. “It’s just fun to get together and reminisce.”
Of the seven present on Sunday, four live around Southern California, and the others live in Arizona, Colorado and Idaho. San Clemente resident Liane Hawkins helped organize the gathering that took place in her home.
The group had their typical luncheon that started at around 11:30 a.m., during which they chatted and shared the positive and negative events they have experienced in the years since their last organized meeting, but this year’s meetup had something extra coming.
To make the reunion special, they also invited the local sixth-grade Girl Scouts Troop 5491—of which four Scouts and two leaders were able to attend—to make a connection between generations.
Hawkins’ home was adorned inside and out with decorations, as a welcome sign on her garage and balloons beckoned her partygoers to a fun afternoon. The refreshments, of course, included lemonade and popular Girl Scout cookies such as Samoas, Thin Mints, and Trefoils, served on green plates.
Coincidentally, she purchased them months before from one of the Scouts, Gabby Arcaro, who attended Sunday’s event.
“She was selling Girl Scout cookies in front of the market, when I was there,” said Hawkins. “So, I bought five boxes of them, knowing that I was going to need Girl Scout cookies for this.”
The family room table, covered in a green cloth, featured green-and-white polka dot gift bags for the special guests, two antique Girl Scout dolls, and two scrapbooks chock-full of old black-and-white and color pictures.
Inside one scrapbook was a couple pages dedicated to the group’s August 1996 reunion, documented in print by the Sun Post News and in photographs by the late career newsman Fred Swegles. The article’s presence underscores how long the friends have continued to meet, and their commitment to each other.
As another example of their history, Hawkins referenced the green zip-up hoodies that some of the women wore to the event, which she had ordered to be custom-made years ago in conjunction with a cruise trip they attended.
“On the back of the jackets, it says ‘Girl Scouts, Sisters Forever’ and that’s how we feel about each other,” she said. “We really feel like we’re sisters that just don’t live close enough to get to see each other very often, but we feel like we can tell each other anything.”
When the younger Girl Scouts arrived at around in the afternoon, the elder Scouts sang old organization songs, acted out an old skit and asked the children about their families and pets, as well as their own organizational experiences in serving and camping together.
Hawkins said she enjoyed the skit and singing most.
“I think that was my favorite, performing it for the little girls and then having them perform it with us,” she said. “I really liked that.”
The children also shared information about the World Thinking Day event they’re hosting. During, other nearby troops will join them as they represent England by making food associated with the country and presenting information about it.
Each child said what they like about being a Girl Scout, which revolved around spending time with friends and enjoying the trips they’ve taken to places such as the Great Wolf Lodge in Anaheim.
Afterwards, Troop 5491 leader Kathy Arcaro shared a video message from Girl Scouts of Orange County CEO Vikki Shepp, who congratulated the former troopers on their reunions.
Through nearly 75 years of friendship, the women have remained committed to each other and to staying updated, executing whatever travel plans will get them to see one another one more time. It’s this dedication that makes the reunions, even the potential last, so worth it.
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