Girl Scouts and OWSD
By Vicki Rath

What a great partnership: OWSD and Girl Scouts. Girls all over the state are now experiencing camping, canoeing, fishing, knot tying and crafts as they go to Girl Scout camp. What a great place for OWSD to get involved.

I spent two days in June teaching basic fly-fishing to Brownie Girl Scouts for the Minn-Ia-Kota Girl Scout Council headquartered in Sioux Falls. Their camp is on Wall Lake. Although fly-fishing can be quite difficult for little ones, I introduced them to the basics that may spark an interest later as they grow. The theme for this year’s camp was “Camp Courage,” so trying new things was part of the offerings.

The first thing I did was ask the girls was what we would be fishing for if we went fly-fishing. The obvious answer was “FLIES.” I knew then they were in for some new information and fun. First I described the parts of the hook using a hand drawn model of one. Then, on the cardstock hook they got to glue eyes and feathers to make their own fly. I just couldn’t imagine trying to teach 100 girls how to tie using the vices and thread. This way they got to see what flies were and what they looked like. I had various real flies for them to look at and magazines with pictures of flies to give them creative ideas.

As the “flies” were drying we went outside to discuss the fly rod. I had two rods with me--one rigged for fishing and the other rigged with a large ribbon for casting practice. We went through the differences between a casting rod and fly rod and then each girl got to try casting the ribbon. My 8 foot rods were a little heavy for them, but they all got to try their best and had a great experience without experiencing failure, which is what we always strive for when teaching children.

I did this class 10 times over the two days in 45-minute sessions. It worked well and I have to say, I enjoyed it as much as they did.

Have you thought about Girl Scouts as a way to use your outdoor skills? The councils are always looking for people to show the girls new things. Maybe you like to kayak or cook in a Dutch oven. Maybe archery is your favorite or bird watching. Whatever skills you have, I know girls all over the state would be grateful for sharing your skills with them. Contact your local Girl Scout leaders or Council to see where you can fit in. Remember our mission: To promote hands-on education and participation in outdoor activities with a primary focus on women and children.