My mom signed me up to participate in the Girl Scout program when I was in the second grade.

I, along with many of my friends, started as Brownies with most of us continuing until we reached the Cadet level.

Each week for years, we would all gather together for our troop meetings, which were led by scout leaders Ida Haworth and Susan Embry.

Generally we met in churches, one of which included the Lutheran Church on Cain Ridge Road.

My troop, 229, was a very active, and we had more than 20 girls participating most of the time.

And once the members advanced to the Junior level of Girl Scouting, which was when we reached the third grade, many of our gatherings were focused on earning badges.

Therefore, during our troop meetings, we would have guests come teach us various skills such as how to cook and sew.  One program that I remember distinctly dealt with manners and posture. Georgia Loe, who owned and operated a dress boutique in Vicksburg for over a decade and was well known for dressing Miss Mississippi each year, had us all walking around the room with books on our heads.

It was so much fun, but the absolute, without a doubt, favorite thing I enjoyed about my scouting days was the camping.

I loved going to Camp Wahi in Brandon, and one year when we had advanced to Cadets, our troop made a trip to Washington D. C. and camped all the way there and back.

From a skunk spraying our tent to the deluge of rain one night, the whole trip was an experience I will never forget, and one I will always cherish.

Along the way, we took the time to stop in Savannah, Ga., and visited the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low who was the founder of the Girl Scouts.

I thought about Mrs. Low this week and wondered how she would feel about the move that will allow girls to join the Boy Scouts.

I am sure she worked diligently to devise a program that would allow young women similar opportunities to their counter-parts, especially after she was inspired by a meeting in 1912 with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts.

Times have evolved. I understand there are some females who would feel more comfortable in a male environment and may appreciate the significance of becoming an Eagle Scout, but Girl Scouting, in my opinion, also offers challenges and excitement.

And the last thing I would want to see happen is the Girl Scout program become diminished because young women see it as lesser than Boy Scouts.

As females, I would hope we continue to embrace the strides that other women who came before us made and not view them as inferior.

Today, there are millions who are Girl Scouts and alumnae. And like myself, there were friendships made, educational opportunities offered and development and growth experienced.

I for one have always thought my achievements as a Girl Scout were as revered as my husband’s Eagle Scout accomplishment.

And just for the record, my mother framed my badges, just like his mama framed his!

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com. Readers are invited to submit their opinions for publication.