Girls Scouts Tie Up Six Years with a Donation to Fox Meadow School

Girl Scout Troop 1596 began at Fox Meadow School in 2005, with 31 first grade girls and two leaders, Caryl Grueskin and Karen Chapro. Notable for its size, the troop included 31 of the 35 girls in the grade because they did not want to turn anyone away. In third grade the leaders Christine Bensche, Janet Korins and Monica Rieckhoff joined the group. Five years later, in sixth grade, the troop finished with 11 girls, including 2 from an Edgewood troop.

Over the years the girls raised funds primarily through cookie sales and used them to fund projects such as building bluebird houses for Fox Meadow nature park, part of an effort by the Audobon Society to provide habitat for the endangered Eastern Bluebird.

They helped an animal shelter, threw a Halloween party for the children at Coachman family center in White Plains, sang in a retirement home, collected litter at the school, helped pack food at the Interfaith Food Bank, donated groceries to Grace Church and sorted donations to Haiti at AFYA.

When they ceased operations in June, 2011, the troop had $1,500 in their account and they decided to donate $750 for three river birch trees, which were just recently planted around the blacktop at Fox Meadow. They also gave $650 towards an electrical upgrade and $200 for kitchen equipment, both at the Girl Scout House. As Christine Bensche said, "We are very proud of this troop and its generosity to the community." Troop leader Monica Rieckoff added, "The girls were really service oriented and wanted to help others. I had a wonderful time as a leader getting to know this incredible group and also am very appreciative of the leaders of Scarsdale/Edgemont Girl Scouts for the opportunities they make possible and our community's support for girl scouts. A favorite memory is probably baking brownies in our homemade cardboard ovens at the campout- they were yummy!”

Pictured here are former members of Girl Scout Troop 1596 with Fox Meadow Principal Duncan Wilson in front of a newly planted river birch tree.