(Riverton, WY) Local Girl Scout and Daisy’s Dream Team leaders gathered outside of the Riverton Museum last Saturday for the dedication ceremony of the Girl Scout Gate.
The dedication program began with a Welcome Address given by Hazel Schaefer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Law led by Robin McCormick, after whom NettaBell Girard was introduced as the Honored Guest for the unveiling of the gate.
“Our Girl Scouts in this area are very special,” Girard said. “We look at the community and see what the community needs, and we jump right in. Sometimes the water is a little over our heads, but somehow we manage to figure out what needs to be done and do it, quite often dramatically. So it’s been fun for me to be on the board and on the national board. I’ve been all over the country, and nothing is better than what we have here because we put something into it that I don’t think is available very often. We put ourselves into it. We share what we have with people.”
From left to right: Robin McCormick, Tina Shaw, Trisha Burwell, Riverton Museum Site Manager Nathaniel Griffee, Judy Christensen (of Sheridan), Sharon Ayars, NettaBelle Girard, Lenae Shriner, Sandy Dean, Hazel Schaefer and George Schaefer. (h/t Carol Harper)
Girard was the valedictorian of her high school class and attended the University of Wyoming, where she obtained her law degree and has been a practicing attorney for 63 years. She began her connection to the Girl Scouts when her mother started the first Girl Scout troop in Riverton. She went on to become a troop leader, a board member of the Wyoming Girl Scout Council, and a board member of the Girl Scouts of USA. She also shared her musical talents as a keyboardist and song leader at the 3-day “Daisy’s Dream” event at CWC in 2002, which drew 1000 Girls Scouts to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Girls Scouts of the USA.
Others who were a part of the Daisy’s Dream team shared stories and reminisced about the event that took place 22 years ago.
“When I look at this gate, I see more than just ornate metal artwork,” added Schaefer. “I reflect back on the detailed planning, the partnerships made with the Wyoming Council of Girl Scouts, GSUSA, the troop leaders, the CWC board and staff, and law enforcement agencies, the weather station, the hospital, Riverton High School, the chamber of commerce, and so many other groups. But most importantly, I remember all of the volunteers, both Girl Scout-connected and community-connected. This event could never have happened without the commitment those people made.”
The program concluded with the song “Make New Friends” and refreshments of lemonade and Girl Scout cookies. Special thanks were given to the VFW Auxiliary, to Aaron Russell of Rugged Werks, LLC in Kinnear for powder coating the gate, and to the Riverton Museum for acknowledging the dedicated volunteers by giving the Girl Scouts Gate a new home.
“We have wonderful leaders, wonderful scouts…the opportunities that they (Girl Scouts) will have and share will be something that carries with them throughout their lifetime. We have the opportunity to share things that we wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else or with any type of group. It’s very special, and I hope that we will never stop…we always will have the scouting feeling to help people everywhere.” -NettaBell Girard
The Riverton Museum is located at 700 E. Park Avenue and is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 307-856-2665 or visit the museum’s website or Facebook page.