Greenwich Girl Scouts have Women in Government event

Greenwich Girl Scouts partners with the League of Women Voters Greenwich to run the biggest Women in Government event for the town’s youngest constituents.

The connection began several years ago.

In February 2018, Lori Mulligan, the leader of Girl Scout Troop 50126, contacted several local dignitaries to visit her then-fourth grade Junior Girl Scouts at North Mianus School. On April 7 of this year, those now high school Girl Scouts partnered with the League of Women Voters of Greenwich to take over Greenwich Town Hall, running the Women in Government event with 10 handson activity stations; 19 federal, state and town dignitaries; and 100 Girl Scout participants.

In the lobby, Daphne Stavropoulos, Department of State staff and Girl Scout alum, handed out event passports to each youth participant and shared the role of the Department of State in world affairs. At the Town Hall Meeting Room, Girl Scouts were stamped their passports using Town Clerk Jackie Budkins’ Town of Greenwich stamp. Selectwoman Lauren Rabin and Selectperson Janet Stone-McGuigan led mini-tours of Greenwich Town Hall, which was once Greenwich High School.

Karen Fassuliotis, vice chair of Greenwich’s Board of Estimation and Taxation, said in a news release that “The format was a great one and the vote to determine the favorite Girl Scout cookie was probably the most important vote of the day!”

Girl Scouts donned handmade paper Capitol Caps and drafted bills to have less homework and more recess with members of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting. Participants also made suffragette ribbons with the League of Women Voters of Greenwich. Laura Kostin of the Board of Education helped Girl Scouts learn about the different parts of government while making government lapbooks. Demetria Nelson, Commissioner of Greenwich Department of Human Services, offered magic scratch art paper for the Girl Scouts to make colorful designs. Every Girl Scout earned a Democracy badge and a patch designed by high school Girl Scout Riona McKersie.