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After years of studying Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, and celebrating Low’s birthday each Halloween, the Lanesboro Girl Scouts traveled to Savannah, Ga., to visit her birthplace as well as many other educational and exciting places.
Girl Scout leaders Stena Lieb, Sasha Holst and Desiree Ferrie, along with volunteer Susy Riggott traveled with five Girl Scouts to Savannah from June 25-29.
The Girl Scouts who traveled to Savannah included Gwen Lieb, Ari Huntington, Lux Holst, Charlotte Ferrie and Gracy Riggott.
Funds for the trip were raised from the sale of Girl Scout cookies. “Most of the girls have been selling Girl Scout cookies for years, and the profits all went into one big pot,” explained Stena.
The Girl Scouts also had a food booth at Rhubarbfest this year, making rhubarb lemonade, bars, cookies, candy and rhubarb pretzels and the profits from that also went towards the trip.
Additionally, the Lanesboro Fire Department gave a monetary gift toward the Girl Scouts trip, which helped with lodging expenses. The group stayed in an Airbnb for the entire trip, which they all enjoyed. “The Airbnb was really pretty,” noted Gwen.
The Legion Auxiliary also supports the Girl Scout troop by paying for the Girl Scout leaders registration costs each year.
The trip included new experiences for many of the girls as some had not flown on a plane before, or been out of the tri-state area.
The girls were excited to learn more about Juliette Gordon Low by visiting her birthplace, the Wayne-Gordon House. “We study it every year, because she died of breast cancer, so we talk about that. And her birthday is on Halloween, so usually in October we have a birthday party for Juliette Gordon Low and we talk about a little bit more of the history,” stated Stena.
But by spending time at Low’s birthplace, they learned far more than they could have imagined.
“The house has been purchased by the Girl Scouts and it has been renovated to as original as possible. To see all of the stuff she had that they had kept was really neat,” commented Stena. The home is one of the most historic in Savannah and one of its most visited tourist attractions.
The Girl Scouts and leaders learned that Low was completely deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other ear. She never had any children of her own, which may explain why she began the Girl Scouts and advocated for girls.
“That is part of the reason why she started the Girl Scouts, because she wanted to do something similar to what the Boy Scouts had,” explained Stena.
The group spent a lot of time at Low’s birthplace and learned a lot of things they had never heard about her. “The Girl Scout experience at the Juliette Gordon Low House was fun for the whole group,” stated Susy.
The Girl Scout troop also visited Andrew Low House, Juliette’s husband. “That is where she lived with her husband until he died,” noted Stena. Behind that house is the courtyard and the Carriage House where Low first started having Girl Scout meetings.
“They had built walls around the courtyard so the girls could play basketball in their bloomers, otherwise it was very scandalous at that time,” shared Stena. The local group of Girl Scouts saw pictures of the girls back then playing basketball in their bloomers in the courtyard.
Along with all of the education on Low, the girls and their leaders had time for some other sightseeing, fun and food as well.
“The city of Savannah is full of history, and there is much to look at,” commented Susy.
The girls visited many of the 22 historic squares in Savannah and saw the Candler Oak Tree, the oldest oak tree in Georgia, which is estimated to have been growing since the 1700s.
A very interesting and inspiring part of the trip for both the girls and the adults was visiting The Savannah College of Art and Design.
Another fun but spooky activity was the trolley ghost tour, where there were actors portraying characters of the past.
An unforgettable meal was shared at The Pirates’ House restaurant, which is not only an eating establishment, it is an experience in and of itself. First opened in 1753, the building was a hub for mariners, sailors and pirates over the years and has become a well-known tourist destination.
Spending a day on the beach of Tybee Island was an opportunity for the group to slow down and enjoy the beauty that surrounded them. The highlight was getting to see dolphins in the water. “I think the girls loved going to the beach and seeing the dolphins,” shared Susy.
“Charlotte loved the houses, Gracy loved the food, Lux loved the differences between the states, and I loved the smells – it smells a lot different,” recalled Gwen, adding that seeing the Spanish moss hanging down it was really neat.
After working hard toward their goal, the Girl Scouts had an educational and fun trip to Savannah that they will remember forever.
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