Ossining Girl Scouts' 5th Annual Scarecrow-a-palooza

Girl Scouts and Mermaids and Dragons, Oh My!
By Erica Knopp

With Halloween approaching, the observant traveler may notice amusing, hair-raising and exceedingly creative scarecrows popping up around Ossining. This can only mean that is it time for Ossining Girl Scouts’ annual Scarecrow-a-Palooza! You can find these cute, funny and haunting creatures stationed all around Ossining. Be on the lookout for a fire-breathing dragon, a creepy granny, a prisoner dressed all in orange, some mythical mermaids, three different enchanted unicorns, and many more alluring visitors. Check out ossininggirlscouts.org to download printable driving directions and a fun scavenger hunt. The scarecrows will remain up through the first weekend of November.

“This is my favorite time of year!” says Erica Knopp, an Ossining Girl Scout Service Unit Manager and leader of a 2nd grade troop. “I am always so excited to see what the girls come up with. Their creativity knows no bounds and each scarecrow displays the true ingenuity of Ossining’s young women.” Rose Marie Jost, another Ossining Girl Scout Service Unit Manager and leader of a 9th grade troop, agrees, “The great thing about this event is that the designs for all the scarecrows are girl driven. They provide the concept and they work collaboratively with each other to achieve the final product.”

Troop Leaders are excited about the event too. “I love that this has become an annual tradition,” says 4th grade leader Kerri DiMiceli. “The Girl Scouts get to flex their artistic muscles by planning the theme and their physical muscles by learning how to use power tools, glue guns and shovels.” Miriam Risko, leader of a 7th grade troop states, “Our troop really enjoyed creating our scarecrow and we like to drive around and admire all the other scarecrow creations around town. It seems that each year the scarecrows get better and better!”

Have a girl interested in joining this great organization? To learn more about Ossining Girl Scouts, visit ossininggirlscouts.org or the Ossining Girl Scouts Facebook page. Even better, consider becoming a troop leader! Current troop leaders rave about their experiences. Rene McCormack, leader of an 11th grade troop says, “I love that my girls still love being involved in Girl Scouts in 11th grade, engaging in community services and doing anything they can to help their community.” Want to share this experience with our community’s young women? Email join@ossininggirlscouts.org and find out how you can get involved!