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Members of Troop 86 G practice making a square knot.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
GROSSE POINTES — Girls have always been able to be members of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, but they were never able to take advantage of programs like the Eagle Scouts, which was only offered through Boy Scouts of America.
That is, until now. The Boy Scouts of America — which rebranded itself as Scouting America — became open to female members in February 2019, and the Grosse Pointes recently established its first female troop, Troop 86 G. The troop holds its weekly meetings at Richard Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Farms, but it’s open to girls from any of the Grosse Pointes, Harper Woods and other surrounding communities that want to join.
The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts/Scouting America have always had a different focus from each other, said Chris Cornwell, of Grosse Pointe Park, the cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 147. Scouting America — many of whose members have gone on to become astronauts or attend prestigious military service academies — puts a greater emphasis on leadership and outdoor survival training, he said.
“You look at the opportunities it gives to our sons and you say, why not give it to our daughters (too)?” Cornwell said. “It opens doors to you in education. It opens doors to you in employment. It opens doors to you in networking.”
Cornwell, who eventually became an Eagle Scout, said it got him a job interview with a company that wasn’t considering him until the supervisor, a fellow Eagle Scout, learned that Cornwell had successfully completed the rigorous process to reach that rank.
“The dedication to community and public service, the hours and hours of community service — people respect the (Eagle Scout) program,” Cornwell said.
For Cornwell, having a female troop in the Pointes is personal — his daughter, Piper Cornwell, 11, is a member of Troop 86 G, which held its first meeting March 3. The troop is led by Scoutmaster Katie Henke and Assistant Scoutmaster Kelly Rossi.
Piper Cornwell, who has been in Cub Scouts since she was in kindergarten, said that in Scouting America, “We can learn more leadership skills but also … we can be prepared for any situation.”
Her friend, Mika Palubinskas, 10, of Grosse Pointe Park — both are fifth graders at Pierce Middle School — is also in Troop 86 G. Palubinskas was in the Girl Scouts for a couple of years and joined the Cub Scouts last year.
“I’m definitely looking forward to camping and building relationships with new people,” Palubinskas said.
Learning first aid so she can help others is something else she said she’s looking forward to.
In a world where adults and kids alike are spending more and more time indoors glued to their technological devices, Scouting offers a chance to explore nature and unplug.
“They’re in front of their screens, in a suburban environment, all the time,” Chris Cornwell said. “This puts them outdoors in a rural environment.”
He said the troop camps once a month on weekends during the school year and they spend a week camping during the summer. Troop members learn wilderness survival, traversing the outdoors safely and lifesaving skills, including first aid.
“That’s the kind of thing young people are learning and carrying with them throughout their lives,” Chris Cornwell said.
Chris Cornwell said they also get a chance to hike, climb, sail, shoot, kayak, zipline and engage in other outdoor activities they might not have done before. The Scouts are educated on these activities so they can do them safely.
“We’re hoping to become better leaders and experience a lot of different things we might not be able to experience if we weren’t in scouting,” Piper Cornwell said.
Scouts learn how to cook, and each troop has to decide on and budget for the food it will be eating while camping. Chris Cornwell said Scouts clean up after themselves as well, so that wherever they’ve camped is left looking as if no one had been there.
“Part of scouting is the ethics of being a good outdoorsperson … and protecting the environment for the future,” he said.
Piper Cornwell and Palubinskas are among the troop members who hope to become Eagle Scouts. Chris Cornwell said Scouts need to complete all the requirements by their 18th birthday.
The girls troop is linked to the boys troop, Troop 86 B, which means they have access to camping equipment, but Chris Cornwell said that Troop 86 G will need to do fundraising for additional equipment such as more tents, tools like axes and saws, another trailer and the like.
The troop can expand to any number, meaning there is plenty of room for more members.
“It’s very exciting that we get to start this, but we’re also encouraging other girls to join,” Piper Cornwell said.
At press time, the new troop had about eight girls.
The Scouts are the ones who run the meetings.
“The whole program is designed to make young people leaders,” Chris Cornwell said.
Anyone interested in learning more can contact the troop or attend a meeting.
“We welcome any parent or young person to visit a meeting,” Chris Cornwell said.
For more information, email troop86g.gp@gmail.com.
