Local Girl Scout Brownies Meet and Greet with Hearthstone Resident, Author
On the last Saturday of Girl Scout Cookie Season this past March, shifts of Scouts from a local Girl Scout troop manned a cookie booth at the Hearthstone Country Club's Tourn during a golf tournament. With over a hundred boxes of cookies to sell and a looming deadline, Scouts were pulling out all the stops to grab golf players' attention as they hurried into their golf carts for the start of the tournament. Once the frenzy died down and other Scouts had arrived to man the booth, hope faded for sales during the lull of the afternoon, until a friendly Hearthstone resident stopped by their table.
Hearthstone resident and author, Karen McDonald, struck up conversation with the Scout on duty and an adult volunteer. McDonald shared that she wrote a book about her dog, Max, to help raise awareness of the importance of adopting injured pets through his story of triumph. She was kind enough to offer a free, signed copy to the Scout, who was glad to have something to help her pass the time as she waited for customers to drift by the booth.
Word got around to the troop's Brownie leader about the exchange, and the idea of earning the "Meet An Author" badge through a meet-and-greet with McDonald emerged. Ironically enough, the Brownies had been working on the "Pets" badge, which gives Brownies an opportunity to learn about what it means to own a pet and how to care for a pet. The Brownie leader jumped on the opportunity and found McDonald's website online, then sent a message to connect and plan a meet-and-greet for her Scouts.
Earlier this month, the day finally arrived for McDonald and her huggable Labrador/Great Dane mix, Max, to meet several Brownies and their parents at a local park. The girls had the opportunity to ask questions about what is involved in being an author, how McDonald brainstorms and writes her stories, and her background as a writer. A "gentle giant", Max seemed to enjoy the snuggles, petting and attention given to him by the Scouts.
McDonald is a second-grade teacher at a local elementary school, where she enjoys sharing her love of literature and writing, and nurturing literacy with her students. During the meeting, the Brownies gained insight about the story writing process, and McDonald even gave some inspiration for stories of their own. McDonald gave a signed copy of her book to all of the girls to help inspire and encourage them as readers, and maybe even writers.
What began as a kind gesture could very well have sparked in the Scouts an interest in writing their own stories, or at least pursue their passions, whatever they may be. That's what Girl Scouts is all about - giving girls chances to be exposed to various opportunities in pursuit of their passions.
To learn more about Karen McDonald's work, please visit her website at karenmcdonaldauthor.com.
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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