Women vets team up with Girl Scouts for ‘Inspiring Patriotism’
Any time that Girl Scouts get the chance to take part in activities on the 123 acres of Camp Honi Hanta nestled on the Braden River, they jump at it.
Sunday afternoon, 34 scouts drawn from the 10-county Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida gathered at Camp Honi Hanta and were joined by six women veterans for the first Inspiring Patriotism event.
The program is for girls in grades six through nine who are interested in earning the Finding Common Ground Legacy Badge.
The scouts had the opportunity to learn new skills and to interact with women veterans to learn about their service.
A bit of history from the nation’s founding was also woven into the day during adventure activities such as low-ropes courses and archery.
We are learning teamwork and leadership building, and it’s so much fun being with them, and hearing their stories. It’s inspiring.
Kari Krepop
“The girls love being at Camp Honi Hanta and being around positive women. It’s a natural,” district CEO Sue Stewart said.
Kari Krepop, a Parrish resident who attends Manatee School for the Arts, said she appreciated learning from the veterans.
“We are learning teamwork and leadership building, and it’s so much fun being with them, and hearing their stories,” Krepop said. “It’s inspiring.”
C.J. Bannister, Goodwill Manasota’s director of veterans services, said the vets felt honored to take part in Inspiring Patriotism.
“It means so much to be able to be a mentor to the girls and let them know what a veteran looks like, that this is what a veteran acts like, and that women can do just as many great things in the military as the men. So we couldn’t be more excited to be here,” Bannister said.
Among Sunday’s participants was Nadine Noky, a 2005 Army veteran of the Iraq War. Noky has become a leading advocate for women veterans in Southwest Florida and started a business, Lady Brigade, making apparel for women veterans.
“I think it’s really cool being part of this, and to see the leadership skills that the Girl Scouts have that I didn’t when I was their age,” Noky said.
In addition to helping the Girl Scouts build relationships with their women vet mentors, Sunday’s program also explored civic debate and making group decisions through compromise.
Sunday’s installment is the first of a three-part series being produced in cooperation with Goodwill Manasota’s Veterans Services Program.
James A. Jones Jr.: 941-745-7053, @jajones1
This story was originally published April 30, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Women vets team up with Girl Scouts for ‘Inspiring Patriotism’."