Sammy and Ilna, love you guys. REAL McRollers and Readers, thank you for being the best. We love you all.

I was the leader of the best troop ever for 16 years, same kids, Brownies through Seniors, with 9 Gold Awardees. This one is for all the Girls Scouts out there, past and present. Especially my Girl Scout Girls, who are all in their 40s now, and who still come to my house for holidays.

Show Me the Elf

Angie bounced on her toes, her eyes sparkling with excitement. They were the first to arrive, and dressed in her brand new brownie uniform, she could hardly contain herself as she waited in the meeting hall vestibule for Ashae to get there. Adjusting her vest and smoothing her khaki shorts, she looked up at her parents.

"My uniform passes muster, right Daddy?" Her question had Steve and Catherine sharing a grin.

"It's perfect, baby girl. You'd pass any inspection." He bent to kiss her head.

"Angie!" With a burst of giggles, Ashae opened the door and ran inside. "You look pretty in your uniform!" she told her best friend as Raina and Justin greeted Steve and Catherine.

"You do, too!" Angie said as they twirled. "I feel like a real Girl Scout now!"

"Let's get inside so we can sign you up," Catherine said and the girls grabbed hands and practically skipped into the meeting space.

Inside the hall, Ms. Sarah, the Brownie leader greeted them and directed the parents to where Ms. Mimi, her assistant leader, manned a sign up table.

"Looks like you two are first," Ms. Sarah said with a dimpled smile.

"We're very very excited to be Girl Scouts!" Angie announced, while Catherine whispered, "I don't know how they made it through the school day to be honest," to Mimi.

"We love enthusiastic Brownies," Mimi responded as she took the form and gave Catherine and Raina printed schedules. "This is a meeting activity list, after today you'll get them in your email. We like to give the parents a heads up on what's going to happen at each meeting." She handed them each a green sheet of paper as well. "This lists the basic rules so the girls know what to expect. I would tell you to have the girls find a seat at the circle in the center of the floor but I see they've beaten me to it." She chuckled. "Once the meeting begins, you can head out. Pick up is in an hour. Some of our parents don't bother to go home during the first few meetings; there's a Dunkin' Donuts three doors down and they grab a snack and a cup of coffee while they wait, just in case the kids get nervous and need mom or dad to come back." She glanced at Angie who was happily introducing herself and Ashae to three children who had just arrived. "I seriously doubt that's going to be a problem with your daughter."

Steve laughed. "We may have a problem getting her to leave," he said as he finished filling out the emergency contact form. Passing it to Mimi, he smiled when she checked the information and said, "Emergency contacts: Danny Williams of Five 0, Captain and Doctor Rollins, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, also Five 0. I'm thinking we now have the safest troop on the island."

/

By the time the parents were finished, several girls were already sitting in a circle, talking and giggling.

Ms. Sarah had set up a table with colorful beads and strings. She held up one hand with three fingers in the air. "Welcome, brownies!" She greeted them with a warm smile. "This is the Girl Scout sign. Let's all try it. Very good! When you see me or Ms. Mimi holding it up, that means we have to be very quiet and pay attention. Are you ready for your very first meeting?"

Angie nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing. "Yes, we're very very ready!"

A girl named Kim said, "We just got stationed here, and I can't wait to make new friends!"

Ashae's eyes twinkled. "Welcome to Oahu, don't those friendship bracelets look so fun to make?"

Ms. Sarah clapped her hands together. "Well, let's get started! We're going to dive into our first activity. A getting to know you game."

The children all listened intently as the leaders explained, then demonstrated, the rules of the game. When Ms. Sarah asked for a volunteer to go first, Angie's hand shot into the air immediately.

"Ok, Angie," Ms. Sarah smiled. "You go first."

Angie took a deep breath and faced her new friends. "My name is Angie and I like anchovies," she said excitedly.

Next to her, Ashae was prepared. "That's my best friend Angie. She likes anchovies. She likes lots of weird foods."

Angie giggled.

As if suddenly remembering the assignment Ashae continued. "My name is Ashae and I like apples."

The next girl in line crinkled her eyebrows in concentration. "That's Angie. She likes anchovies. This is Ashae. She likes apples. My name is Kim. I like kiwis."

By the time they reached the other side of the circle the girls were all giggling and yelling out hints to help with the now lengthy list of names and favorite foods.

The girls eagerly settled around the table, each picking out their favorite colored beads. Angie grabbed some purple and green beads and beamed at her best friend.

"I'm making mine with pink and purple," Ashae announced, carefully threading the beads onto her string.

As they worked on their bracelets, Ms. Sarah had each child tell a little more about themselves. They heard from Kim, Amy, Alani, Ana, Julia and Tina before finishing their bracelets.

After cleaning up the activity, Ms. Sarah gathered the girls in the center of the room. "Now, it's time for our Friendship Circle," she announced.

The girls stood, joining hands and forming a circle. Angie squeezed Ashae's hand, excitedly.

"This circle represents our unbreakable friendship as Girl Scouts," Ms. Sarah explained, her voice gentle yet serious. "Like a chain that connects us all over the world."

Angie looked around the circle, seeing the faces of the other Brownies beaming back at her.

"And now, we'll do a very special activity," Ms. Mimi announced. "You'll each get your official Brownie pin. The figure on the pin is an elf, and she's inside a trefoil, the symbol of Girl Scouting." A chorus of 'Oooohs' echoed through the room. "We'll hear the story of the very first Brownies and then, when you come up one at a time, Ms. Sarah and I will pin your uniform, but the pin will be upside down."

"Upside down?" Several of the girls murmured.

"Yes, and you'll see why in a minute."

After the story, Mimi said, "Angie, would you like to go first?"

Before the words left her lips Angie was front and center, saying "Yes!"

There was an unbreakable mirror in the center of the circle and she directed Angie to stand next to it.

The six year old giggled as Ms. Sarah spun her around three times, saying "Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw…"

The excited little girl peered into the mirror on the floor. "I see myself!" she exclaimed, pointing at her reflection with a grin.

Ms. Sarah clapped. "Well done, Angie! You've found the elf in the water. You're all Brownie elves now and can officially do good deeds and help others."

When the Brownie insignia was pinned on her vest, Angie stood at perfect military attention.

When everyone had a turn. Ms. Sarah gathered the girls around. "Now, Brownies, before our next meeting, I want each of you to do three good deeds."

Angie's eyes widened as she listened intently. "Like a mission?"

Ms. Sarah nodded. "Yes, it is like a mission. Each good deed represents a leaf on your trefoil pin. Once you've done all three, your parent or guardian will turn your pin right side up."

Giddy with excitement, a murmur rose among the girls and Mimi and Sarah smiled.

As the meeting came to an end, the leaders passed out a snack of fresh fruit and Girl Scout cookies, which completed Angie's joy at being in the troop.

In the truck on the way home, Angie recounted every detail of the meeting for her parents and brother. "I can't believe I'm a real Brownie!" she squealed, her eyes sparkling with delight. "DJ, will you help me make a list of good deeds when we get home? We have to do three, but Ms. Sarah said if we do more, that's okay. Oh! And we get to sell cookies'l

As the kids began to discuss good deed possibilities, Steve turned to Catherine with a smile. "If you thought I bought too many Girl Scout cookies in the past…"

She grinned. "You may just cover the quota for the island."

# THE END

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