“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” Margaret Mead
Our history is our strength” and with this year’s Women’s History theme “Valiant Women of the Vote” it’s so fitting for me to be honoring my Grandma Dodie, (far left )with her Girl Scout Troop # 1 in Buchannan, MI.
The year was 1913; thousands of women marched in Washington D.C. in the Women’s Suffrage Parade and in the small village of Buchannan, MI eight young girls with big dreams believed their small group of girls could change the world. Seven years later, as they were celebrating their 21st birthday the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, granting these girls and all women the right to vote
I doubt they understood the profound impact their generation of women made beyond the right to vote. But I believe with all my heart when my Grandma passed away in 1993, at the age of 94 she knew her great granddaughters would build upon these historical triumphs.
My Grandma Dodie was such a remarkable woman – and in my eyes a trailblazer in so many ways. She is so much a part of my story… her history is my strength. She was (and continues to be) the brightest light in my life.
I have her scrapbook, which I cherish dearly. It’s filled with newspaper clippings, photographs, handwritten notes, her size 9 ankle license (permission to do anything and everything she desired to direct attention to her pretty ankles) and other treasured moments. My favorite pages are the ones filled with her Girl Scout memories. These pals from kindergarten voted my Grandma Patrol Leader, fitting as she created their first Girl Scout manual after reading her brother’s Boy Scout Troop manual and adding in a few “feminine” touches. Her Girl Scout stories are filled with curiosity, courage, determination and a fierce commitment to each other. They remained friends for all their lives, hosting their last meeting in 1982—all in their early 80s. It’s a representation of true Girl Power!
My 2020 goal is to create my own scrapbook. I want to replicate what my Grandma gave to me—a keepsake of history and memories. I hope that my-future-granddaughter will turn to the pages that hold my TechBae memories and cherish them in the same way I cherish her Girl Scout pages.