SOMW Girl Scouts to Hold Yard Sale

Girl Scout troop 20489 will be holding a Saturday and Sunday, July 7 - 8, from 9 a.m. until noon each day at 12 Crowell Place in Maplewood to raise money for an upcoming trip.

The 16 scouts, made up of girls from Maplewood and South Orange Middle Schools, have gathered items from their families and neighbors and will be selling them in what is sure to be a huge sale. According to Maggie Tuohy, a parent of one of the girls in the troop, they will have golf clubs, children’s toys, books, clothing, small items of furniture, household goods and more – they will even be selling and lemonade.

The sale will raise money for the troop’s September trip to Rocking Horse Ranch, in Highland, NY. They are looking forward to the horseback riding, water sports and other activities at the ranch. “It’s definitely one of the trips that the girls look forward to,” said Tuohy.

According to troop leaders, the majority of the 16 girls have been involved in scouting together since the first grade. Their mission is one of volunteering and service to the Maplewood and South Orange communities. They have lent their time to face painting at the , running the pumpkin art booth at the , chaperoning the Prospect Nursery School Pumpkin Patch Festival and cooking and delivering food to the elderly.

Troop Co-Leader Kendra Thyne said the troop’s biggest project started in 2011 when they adopted the inner courtyard at the Maplewood Community Center. “The girls cleaned, weeded and replanted the existing flower boxes,” Thyne said. “They also built new benches and planter boxes to add more seating to the courtyard. In addition, they designed and painted beautiful flower murals on the pillars, creating a more welcoming and usable space.” This project earned the girls their Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior (the level below cadette, the girls’ current level) can receive.

The troop will continue to maintain the garden and replant in it each year.