SanTan
FAMILY FUN
October 2014
1
Scouting benefits boys and girls in a plethora of ways
“An award-winning publication” A publication of the
SanTan Sun News
What’s inside
Pages 2-4 SanTan Family Fun Calendar
Page 10 Chandler celebrates Native American Heritage
Page 11 Hamilton students competing at State Fair
Page 12 Sponsored by City of Chandler Recreation Division
Special High School Football Section SPONSORED BY: SCORPION CROSSFIT
Pages 5-9 Gridiron Update
TASTY TOUR: Girl Scout Troop 951 recently toured Menchie’s frozen yogurt in South Chandler and learned how the delicious cool treats are made and what kind of tasks the employees complete every day. Submitted photo
By Alison Stanton
Stephanie Jarnagan joined the Girl Scouts when she was a third grader growing up in Chandler. She stayed with the organization through high school, where she won a Gold Award for producing a newsletter for high school and junior high students that focused on service project opportunities for teens. Jarnagan loved her experience with scouting so much, she is now leader of Girl Scout Troop 951 in Chandler, as well as a service team member in the Ocotillo neighborhood. Her daughter, 10-year-old Kayden, began scouting in kindergarten as a Daisy Girl Scout and is now in her mom’s troop. “I can’t speak highly enough about my experience as a girl and it’s the prime reason I am so passionate about being an active leader now,” Jarnagan says. Although boys and girls can typically join the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts at any time of the year, many troops are actively recruiting right now. Schools often post signs about upcoming troop meetings that parents can attend with their kids to learn more about the program. To get involved in Girl Scouting, Jarnagan says, parents can also enroll their daughters through the local Council website, www.girlscoutsaz.org. A Girl Scout membership costs $15 a year, but dues can vary from troop to troop, depending on how active they are. Boys who would like to join the scouts can learn more by visiting www.beascout.scouting.org. Creating the newsletter in high school fostered Jarnagan’s interest in journalism, she says, and eventually led her to a full-
ride scholarship to ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “I also earned a college scholarship through Girl Scouts for receiving my Gold Award,” she says. Now that she’s a troop leader, Jarnagan says she loves watching Kayden and the other girls in her troop experience the many up sides of scouting. “One of my favorite benefits of Girl Scouting, particularly in the elementary
school years, is how we’re able to instill confidence in girls,” she says, One of the girls in Troop 951 was very shy when she started in kindergarten, Jarnagan recalls. “She rarely spoke, hated being called on and despised photos. Since our troop is a safe place for girls to be themselves and we’ve forged an incredible sense of camaraderie within my troop, she has blossomed into one of the most kind, funny and respectful young women in
SERVING OTHERS: Junior Girl Scout Troop 951 recently collected more than 3,000 books from other local Girl Scout troops as part of their Mission Bookworm children’s book drive in support of Cops ‘N Kids Chandler. Submitted photo
See SCOUTING, Page 4