[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 69 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GIRL SCOUT TROOP 378

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 8, 2003

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
congratulate the Heart of Florida Girl Scout Troop 378 in Citrus 
County, FL for their service to the community and to the people of my 
district.
  The troop recently learned about the importance of voting and about 
the functions of American government as part of the ``I-Count'' Voter 
Education program and each Troop Member participating in the program 
received a patch upon completion.
  Mr. Speaker, as you may know, those in the Girl Scout program measure 
their accomplishments and award merit based on the number of patches 
they accumulate. As part of earning this patch, the girls studied 
intently and listened to a speech I gave about the importance of 
voting--and how one vote can be the deciding factor in some instances.
  It was when I spoke to the girls and had the chance to meet them and 
hear about all they had done in the community that I realized the 
tremendous amount of work they had done and their intense dedication to 
the Girl Scout program.
  Mr. Speaker, let me briefly mention just a few of the things this 
group of girls has done throughout their years of involvement with this 
program.
  As Daisies the girls learned to do crafts and learned the Girl Scout 
promise. They went on campouts, marched in parades and sang at Surry 
Place Nursing home.
  As Brownies, the troop went to nursing homes to sing, volunteered at 
various events and continued to appear in local parades.
  As Juniors, they collected old, unused cell phones to benefit 
battered women, helped at the local ``Relay for Life,'' which benefits 
the American Cancer Society, and presented the local volunteer 
firefighters with cookies to thank them for their work in the 
community.
  Now that the girls are Cadets they are still collecting cell phones 
and will be continuing their involvement in the ``Relay for Life'' 
program. This past Holiday Season they ``Gift Adopted'' a local under-
privileged girl, and donated money and new gifts to make her Christmas 
brighter.
  Currently they are saving the proceeds from the sale of their Girl 
Scout cookies for a trip to Savanna, GA to see where Juliette Gordon 
Low, the Girl Scout founder, was born.
  Amber Auth, Nicole Bruno, Melissa Fonczak, Emily Stanton, Rebecca 
Rose, Kimberly Carbonari, Rebecca Morse, along with troop leader Mimi 
Rose and assistant troop leader Nora Auth, deserve to be commended for 
their service and dedication. I am proud to have them as my 
constituents and am honored to be their representation in Congress.

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