Hopkins Troop 10266: Girls who lead

Members of Hopkins-based Girl Scout Troop 10266 know spending one night in cardboard boxes in a well-lit suburban park is a far cry from the realities most homeless men, women and children face.

No one is that naive, the girls said.

But as hunger, homelessness and foreclosures surge nationwide, a dozen girls ages 10 to 13 from Troop 10266 spent one night in a makeshift cardboard "Box City" in Hopkins' Burnes Park last week. They met former homeless people and experienced what it was like to buy dinner for $1.50 each -- all to raise awareness about poverty.

"Girl Scouts isn't about sitting in a circle and knitting," said 13-year-old Rachel Gorlin. "It's about showing that girls are strong and can help solve problems."

As the almost 100-year-old organization enters its second century, troops such as this one are at the forefront of a national movement to reverse preteen and teen girls' ambivalence about assuming leadership roles.

A study released by Girl Scouts this spring found that more than half of American girls said they don't aspire to be leaders, despite increasing numbers of women in leadership positions nationally. The national survey included responses from 2,475 girls ages 8 to 17.

Recently the national Girl Scouts organization has worked to broaden its appeal beyond Thin Mints and Trefoils and reach older girls with activities such as white-water rafting, website development, survival camping and advocacy activities like Troop 10266's "Box City."

Most Troop 10266 members are cadettes or senior Girl Scouts ages 11 and up who plan to stick with the organization and pursue leadership roles through high school. Many are in seventh or eighth grade. The troop traces its origins back to its members' days as students at Eisenhower Elementary School in the Hopkins School District.

"They really want to do this type of stuff," said Jocelyn Bessett-Gorlin, a Troop 10266 parent leader. "We still sell cookies, but it raises money for us to do other things."

Last week at Burnes Park, the girls ate pineapple chunks, fruit snacks, yogurt, oranges and other low-cost food for dinner after meeting with Mike Davey of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless to learn more about his organization's work.

About 9,000 Minnesotans experience homelessness each night, the coalition says. Troop 10266 members also learned that many homeless people are turned away from shelters because of a lack of space.

The "Box City" event represents a progression from the troop's volunteer activities at local food shelters and clothing drives during the year, Bessett-Gorlin said.

The girls admitted they weren't exactly excited about the idea of spending an entire night in a flimsy cardboard box. "We've camped outside before, but it was in tents," said 10-year-old Olivia Polinsky.

Troop member Eleanor Plaunt, 13, suggested erecting the box city because members of her church, mostly adults and older teens, had participated in a similar event. She helped convince her friends and their parents to hold their own event.

About an hour before the sun set last week, Olivia was talking about how Hopkins police officers would drive by throughout the night to check on them. She said "real homeless people" usually aren't so fortunate.

The girls appeared to hold onto that sense of appreciation and their good spirits as light rain forced them to cover the boxes with plastic and sit at tables located in the park's covered picnic area. In a few hours, they'd be sleeping in those boxes.

"I'm glad it rained," Bessett-Gorlin said. "It gave them a better idea of what it's like for people who don't sleep in a warm bed each night."

Patrice Relerford • 612-673-4395