There was a Girl Scout Troupe like no other.
Growing up in what was then a small town in Northwest Arkansas was unique. However, we didn’t know it then.
Harrison, Arkansas, is a quiet little North Arkansas town. Harrison is located in the Ozark Mountains on Crooked Creek, 80 miles (129 km) south of Springfield, Missouri. The Boone County seat has been in place since 1869.
The town of Harrison was surveyed and laid out by Col. Marcus LaRue Harrison, a Union officer (therefore named after him), in 1869 during Reconstruction after the Civil War.
All we knew about life
All we knew about life started from a family doctor who made house calls.
As you grew up, you went to kindergarten, grade school, and high school with the same close friends.
Your parents knew all the other parents in PTA.
But for me, the one thing that set us apart was a group of 16 girls who started as Brownie Scouts and all 16 went all the way to 12th grade as Girl Scouts. Oh, there were a few dropouts during the years, but we also filled those vacancies. But the core group remained through the years.
Why We Were Different
Okay, so you don’t think that’s so different or unique. Well, let me tell you, we were A Brownie and Girl Scout Troup like no other. Fortunate enough to have the same leaders, Louise and Rosco Scrivner, from Brownie’s (2nd grade) through the 12th grade of high school. You just don’t hear that often, if ever.
All of our parents helped them from time to time; we were a family of families. But Rosco and Louise were the glue that held us together year after year.
We all learned to ride Smoke Joe, the Scrivner’s horse. We all learned camping skills and the importance of paying it forward to the community, and the importance of lasting friendships.
The Brownie Years From Second Grade
We met in the local Presbyterian Church each week. We would have cookie selling, crafts, campouts, and so much more through the years. I remember having to sell Girl Scout cookies in the back roads and hills of Jasper, Arkansas. There you’d find an old house with a washing machine on the front porch, chickens and pigs in the front yard… you’d walk up to the front door and say “Would You Like To Buy Some GS Cookies?” knowing they probably didn’t have the money, and yet, we went. Today, you’d be afraid of being shot standing on that porch if you even made it that far.
From Brownies to Girl Scout Troupe 76
As time went on, we grew from the Brownie stage into Girl Scout Troupe 76. We would go camping several times a year. Each year was a different location.
Rosco would teach us how to set up camp, and Louise would teach us campfire meal cooking. There were games, singing, and just plain fun. Each year, at least one campout would get rained on and sometimes even flooded, yet we stayed at the campsite in our tents. We swam and floated in the Buffalo River. We drank water from the well or spring. We had to set up our own tents, gather wood for the fire, and skills of all types were taught to us. We would sing around the campfire at night and have a hot meal cooked on the fire in the mornings.
The Girl Scout National Roundup 1962
A few of us, myself included, were chosen to attend the National Girl Scout Roundup in Button Bay, Vermont in 1962, This was a big honor and required many training trips to Ft. Smith, Arkansas over a period of several months. We rode a train to Vermont.
Other Honored Troupe Members
Other members of the troupe were chosen to attend the All State Encampments, Alabama Jubilee, the Mississippi Mermaid Trip Event, Region C Conference and National Convention as a page in 1963.
Working as a Girl Scout Unit
When the May 7th flood hit Harrison, the scouts worked as a unit to help clean up the town; some worked at the local hospital as Candy Stripers and were presented the God and Community Award for working over 1,000 hours each. We all worked at helping local merchants get the mud out of the stores, deliver food, and clean up the downtown area in some way.
The Reunions of A Girl Scout Troup Like No Other
After graduation, most of us kept in touch with each other in some way. We’d marry, have children, change jobs, move around the country, but always keep our friendships alive. (Facebook now keeps us in touch with each other).
As our graduation class reunions started 10 years after graduation, we would always have a breakfast or luncheon with our mothers and Louise. Sometimes the fathers and Roscoe might drop in, but for the most part, it was the 16 girls and our mothers. We have continued that tradition at each of our 10-year reunions.
This year, we had our 60th reunion, and sadly, some of our troupe members have now passed away. Most of our mothers and fathers, Louise and Rosco as well. All will be honored and very much missed.
Louise and Roscoe Scrivner were the parents of Lynda Scrivner Janzen, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 75 in Fort Worth, Texas. Lynda was born on March 16, 1947, to Louise and Roscoe. She was known for her passion for crafting, sewing, cooking, and her love of animals. Roscoe and Louise had also passed away by 2022.
The True Meaning of Childhood Friendships
Now and again, one of us will shoot a picture of the troupe having an adventure together. Sometimes it’s just a happy birthday, anniversary, or thinking of you. Facebook and text messaging have helped to keep us in touch.
The uniqueness of this group is well known in the scouting world and has, to my knowledge, never been repeated to have not only the same members but the same leaders for that many years. We were blessed to live in this small North Arkansas town of Harrison when the world was a much simpler place to live.
“Where friendships, skills, and memories begin…”
