Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

i remember being in brownies, and susie sanders mom was the leader, i know debbie murphy,i thought lynn la fever,and unless i fine my pictures i couldnt tell you who else, i thought sally eakin,nancy ottering also, i'll have to think on this one.

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

There were 2 Brownie troops in our grade:  one led by Bonnie's and my moms, and the one led by Jixie, et al.  Since our class was divided by birthdates (in kindergarten the higher-ups decided the younger 1/2 needed to take naps, so they went in the morning, and the older group ( the girls in this picture) went to afternoon kindergarten.  The classes stayed the same all through Kensington (except I got moved to the younger group--UGH-almost as ignominious as being moved to a different reading group-in 5th grade because my BD was mid-year and they needed to even out the class size).  We may have stayed in 2 troops for our several years as Brownies, and then when we "flew up' into Girl Scouts, we merged into 1 troop.  Jixie was the main leader all the way till we separated.  I forget when the end was--I know we were scouts through junior high.

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

I don't remember Mixie, but thought there was a Trixie

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

I just kind of threw up names I knew went with Jixie, who I was sure of.

I also remember learning to wrap with Mrs. Merton.  Not that it stuck with me....after many years of wrapping, I am still so bad!  Once in awhile I will get inspired and do something pretty, but mostly I just get tangled in paper and ribbon, and stuck to the tape....that is when I'm not losing them, when I HAVEN'T MOVED AN INCH!  Does that happen to other people?

I've enjoyed this reminiscing about the Old Days. It's durn fun, I say. 

Bonnie Kraft (Black)

If I'm not mistaken my Mom was Rose. I remember cutting out pictures from magazines and pasting them to the label of 78 records that we then heated up and bent the records edges up to form them into a bowl. This was when we were meeting at the Chalet in Rocky River Park. I have so many fond memories of being a Brownie and Girl Scout. As an adult I went on to become a Scout leader. "Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the mirror and saw myself".   One of my favorites was singing songs in a "round".  Make new friends but keep the old, some are silver and the others gold. Wow, what a walk down memory lane! Thanks so much for finding the picture, Sally. ?? 

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

Bonnie, I almost wrote about making the bowls out of 45s.  I guess we all had good memories of those days.  I also went on to be a brownie leader, and my name was Daffodil.  I was a sole leader, and had a troop of about 8 girls.  I loved sharing that part of my childhood with my daughter.  

Marcia Pullin (Bruder)

I do believe there was a Trixie.  Now who was that?

Holly Portz (Koiro (1945-2023))

Sounds like y'all had a great time. Loved the photos.  I was in Lakewood at the time and we had a fun Brownie/Girl Scout troop. We met in a church down the road from school and made many fun crafts (or we thought they were cool back then!).  We stayed together until after 7th grade. Our last hurrah was a trip to Washington DC on the train and stayed and the Juliet Lowe Scout camp and toured all the buildings.  (My only trip to DC ever).   

I still have my manual and my sash with all the badges!

I did the same for my girls when they were young.  We lived in Charleston, W. Va. then and they had to be Bluebirds.  Helped for awhile with Trevor's Cub Scout troop...that was a nightmare!!!  The Scouts are still very active where we live now.

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

Those melted records are coming round again...I saw some in a recycle boutique in NM.  I was a Girl Scout leader with my daughter--took them through their senior year.  We mostly camped, didn't do many crafts.  My 2 sons were in Boy Scouts, back before the name got tarnished.  They both earned Eagle, so I was a proud Mama.  Yes, Bonnie, I remember our leaders had flower names, but can't remember my Mom's...maybe Lily? Have you noticed how this post is pulling people out of the woodwork, who evidently like me, lurk but don't post.

I'm coming to the mini next weekend.  Who else is coming?

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

I am sooo enjoying all the GS chatter!  But, where are the girls of Troop 754????  Check out their photos on the "Memory Scrapbook" page!!!  Peggy (s)?  Talie?  Barb J?  My sash with many badges resides on the condo wall of fame.  "Make new friends, but keep the old"!  Remember learning to darn socks but can you name the leader who taught us?  Remember when my mother was our leader but where were our meetings held?  Camping at GS camp but do you remember the pop R & R song we sang over and over and over?

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

ok, where are the people who were in my browin troop with susie sanders mom? i also still have my girl scout little pin,why i kept it, i have no idea.,right along with my class ring., i know debbie murphy i was with me. the good old days, we also had a meetings at susies house, also down at rr beach in that little house, and the vfw on lake rd., right behing my house. i remember making those thing you sat on, out of leather i think, and had aslot in the middle to carry things-i cant remember there name-ponchos?,they were green, maybe that was in girl scots.i remember going to camp cheerful for a sleepover, thinking that was so far away from home, now i pass it all the time-oh the good old day, alot of found memories.

dont forget this fri and sat, bruce will be in town,hope to see you there.

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

Nancy...the cushions we made to sit on were called "sit-upons"

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

thanks lynn, i do remember that now.alot of fun in those days

Sarah Eakin (Webster)

Nancy,  I think Camp Cheerful was a trip the WHOLE 6th grade (Kensington) went on in 6th grade.  I definitely remember boys being there because they bragged about trying or actually seeing through a hole in the wall into the girls shower room.  Now fess up, any boys who are reading this (or have we bored them all with our GS talk)--did you REALLY see us jumping around in the shower, covered in suds, or were you just dreaming?

We carved linoleum blocks to make prints.  I made a chipmunk which I still have somewhere.  Who else stabbed their finger with the linoleum knife that the teacher said to be careful with?

Lynn Jaenke (Erb)

I remember Camp Cheerful.....it was the first time I ever heard the F word (although it was said with a Y at the end), and it was from, all people, Debby Murray, who is so innocent and sweet.  It was whispered, and I don't think we knew what it really meant, just that is was a seriously BAD word.  Many furtive giggles behind hands up to the mouth.....

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

its a good thing you guys remember way back when, i do remember now, it was the 6th grade class,lots of fun though. good memories

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

Remember we went to Camp Cheerful in 6th grade too.  It was so fun.  Of course, the guys also said they saw the girls in the shower so we have to wonder about the authenticity..........   Lin and I to this day will smell a bon fire and say it reminds us of Camp Cheerful.  Nice days and chilly  nights.  Roasting marshmallows, hide and go seek, crafts, animals brought to touch (if we cared to touch them), a taffy pull, etc.  It was such a great place, especially for the children that it was built for that were physically challenged.

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

I'd forgotten Camp Cheerful until the reminders here.  I hope many of you will be participating in this weekend's class activities with Bruce.  It's important that you do if at all possible.  I wish i could be there with you but....next year.....God willing and the creek don't rise. 

Meanwhile for those of you who are going nuts waiting for GS Troop 754 answers, here they are:  1)  Mrs. Grube taught us to darn socks; 2)  When my mother was our leader we met in the basement of the Beach School Annex; 3) Here's the song we sang over and over and over:

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

Oh my gosh, Lin & I used to sing that song all the time (thinking of course that we were harmonizing as well as they did....NOT!!).  Loved Patience and Prudence!  Nice to hear those sweet little voices again.

Linda Peate (Powrie)

There were some 6th grade girls who had boobs & Barb/I were NOT one or two of them!!  I've just grown them in my later yrs., which isn't fair!  But there definitely was the rumor that boys looked at girls in the shower thru a hole in the wall.  Mmmmm.  Wonder if it's still there!  Bon fire smells take me right back there.  We had so much fun.

We sang that song or one by them in the 7th grade talent show w/Barb & I, Janet Kiehl, Janet Soros & another who eludes me at this moment.  Oh we thought we were good, but Tom Kelley & Gordon Tonner beat us out because they were terrific tappers!  Can't compete w/that! Wonder if they can still tap.  I certainly can't sing!!!

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

Lin, I'm thinking it was Barb Jacobus.  Also think it was "Got Along Without You Before I Met You."  Believe you meant to say Barb and I did NOT have boobs...........

Cheryl Grube (Fredericks)

Hi! I have enjoyed reading about our Brownie and Girl Scout troops and love the picture of the Kensington Brownies.  Like Ellen, I am a proud member of Troop 754 from Beach School.  My mom taught the sewing badge so I imagine she taught us how to darn socks.  I am sure that is a skill we have never used! One of my favorite Brownie songs is "I have something in my pocket that belongs across my face.  I keep it very close to me in a most convenient place.  I know you'll never guess it, if you guess a long, long while.  So I'll pull it out and put it on.  It's a great big Brownie smile!"  It was fun while I was teaching, to observe that today's Brownies sing the same songs and have the same traditions that we had as Brownies.  I loved Camp Cheerful!  I have always remembered the hayride; I felt so grownup. I know that many of you are together now and I am sure you are having fun.   Thinking of you...

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

Thanks for joining in, Cheryl.  Nice to have Troop 754 represented here!  I so loved sessions with your mom!

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

I wish I were there with you all this weekend but had to return to work.  I hope there are a lot of you there and that you are having a great time.  My girl, Lynne, would want that.  It is with great sorrow that I relay to you that our classmate, Lynne Holiday Lazelle, passed this week.  She went to Beach School with us for several years and then her family moved to Bay.  She walked in the back door of RRHS at the beginning of our junior year and spent the next 2 years with us.  For her and me it was like we'd never been apart and it's been that way ever since.  She is the "Lynne" in "Cinnamon Lynne".  They have/had the same sense of humor and always keep/kept me in stitches.  She had planned to come with Nancy tomorrow evening (Saturday) to Panini's because she has so enjoyed the get-togethers the last few years.  She missed the 50th because she was ill that weekend.  So, raise a toast to her and have a great time.  Be kind to each other and try not to miss any opportunity to be together!

Linda Peate (Powrie)

Thanks, Sis.  Of course I meant we did NOT have boobs!!!   So sorry about Lynne.  She was such a wonderful person.  Talked for quite awhile in Aug. at our get together on the patio at Panini's.  Who knows when your time is up.  Rest well, Lynne.

Cheryl, you look just like I remember your mother!  Amazing how we turn into our moms!!! Thanks for contributing.  This is great when we can touch base w/our classmates.