Being asked by Kerryn Martin who is the inclusion specialist at Girl Scout of America of eastern Mass. to help girls in Reading, Lynn, and the surrounding areas was a very enjoyable experience. Not only did I get to help these girls get their Inclusion Patch but I also got to give these girls a quick age appropriate lesson in disability history. We talked about everything from 504 and the beginning of disability rights all the way to the Americans With Disability Act. It is a humbling experience to share disability history with kids that would not otherwise get to experience this information on a regular basis. They seem to enjoy it very much. I also want to tip my hat in gratitude to the senior Girl Scouts who took it upon themselves to lead the younger Girl Scouts, Brownies, and Daises in activities that help these children understand the importance of recognizing that differences can make you more alike than most people first assume. This goes along so well with how much I want to impart this message with young people with advocacy of my platform.
The retreat took place at Camp Rice Moody in Reading. It was so nice to have such a large group of girls to talk to. We also had a very innovative question and answer period. As much as I can say that I taught these girls something about disabilities I think that they taught me how eager children of this age are to soak up knowledge about differences. Yesterday, I got a really cool email from Kerryn saying that one of the troops made me a matching purple and pistachio T-shirt. This t-shirt is a sign of membership in their troop and they wanted to make me an honorary member. How flattering is that?
Until next time, my friends, "Advocate, Educate & Empower."
