Girl Scouts exhibit opens today at Besser Museum | News, Sports, Jobs

“Preserving the Past, Promoting the Future — 112 Years of Girl Scouts” opens with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. and will be on display through March 31 in the Dr. Russell H. Wilson Gallery.

Lucy Duthler, 12, and Emma Kinsel, 13, began their Silver project in July 2023. Scouts who are in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade can begin working on their Silver Award after they earn a group of badges called a Journey, said Bronwyn Woolman, co-leader of Girl Scout Troop 1033, based at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Alpena.

“A friend of mine gifted me 17 vintage uniforms,” Woolman said. “And I talked with the girls, and they said, ‘We could do our Silver Award!’ And that’s how it started.”

“The Silver Award is the second highest award that you can earn in Girl Scouts, so we just are really proud of their dedication to bringing the project to life,” said Shelly Tansley, director of marketing and communications for Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore, which covers 30 counties, including Alpena.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Alpena Girl Scouts, from left, Kenna Mousseau, Lucy Duthler, Emma Kinsel, and Addisyn Kolson kneel in front of a portion of the “Preserving the Past, Promoting the Future — 112 Years of Girl Scouts” exhibit opening today at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.

Tansley is based out of Grand Rapids.

“You identify an issue or a cause that you want to raise awareness about, and then you dedicate 50 hours researching, developing a plan, working with a team, and implementing your idea,” Tansley said of the Silver Award.

Duthler and Kinsel approached Besser Museum Executive Director Christine Witulski asking if they could use one of the display showcases, and she responded with enthusiasm, saying they can use the entire Wilson Gallery.

“That is how the project began,” said Woolman, who is also Duthler’s grandma. “Matt Klimczak and Sarah Honeycutt, staff at the museum, shared their support and encouragement for the project. Christine stated that this is only the second time in the history of the museum that teenagers have been entrusted to be in charge of an exhibit at the museum.”

The Alpena County Library has been highly supportive of the project, as well, Woolman said.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Lucy Duthler stands next to her favorite vintage Girl Scout uniform from 1938 to 1956.

“Don La Barre, Special Collections, has met with the Scouts numerous times over the last six months to help them with research of Girl Scouts in the Alpena area and assisted them with creating posters to share in the exhibit at the museum,” Woolman said. “Debra Greenacre, library director, was very supportive of the library assisting with the Silver project, and Lucy and Emma are very appreciative.”

In the months leading up to the opening, the Scouts have held bottle drives to help offset costs associated with the project, collected stories and photos of former Girl Scouts in the area, researched and written information about the 20 vintage uniforms to be featured in the exhibit, collected vintage artifacts from the past 112 years of Girl Scouts, planned and secured items for the Camp Woodlands outdoor camping display, developed hands-on arts and crafts projects for two stations, and much more.

Duthler and Kinsel set out to make something special, and visitors to the museum will be able to see they have definitely accomplished that.

“I feel really good about it, and I feel like it looks really good,” Kinsel said, adding that her favorite part is the campsite. “I like how it looks. It looks really cool, and it looks real, like an actual campsite.”

“I like the feeling that we’re basically done,” Duthler said. “I was so nervous at first.”

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Emma Kinsel stands next to her favorite vintage Girl Scout Cadette uniform from 1995 to 2001.

They couldn’t have done it without helping hands, including their fellow Girl Scouts Kenna Mousseau, 11, and Addisyn Kolson, 13.

“I feel very accomplished,” Kinsel said. “I feel like not anybody could pull this off. I feel like we did a good job.”

“We’ve done something good for the community,” Duthler said. “I like that.”

“We put in lots of work,” Kinsel added.

“I think they did a really good job with the idea, and I think they worked really hard on it, and I feel like they should be really proud of themselves,” Kolson said of her fellow Scouts. “It’s really nice.”

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Kenna Mousseau shows off one of the display tags on the vintage Girl Scout uniforms. The uniform to the left is the oldest, from 1920.

Kolson and Mousseau added that they enjoyed learning the history behind Camp Woodlands and the vintage uniforms, as well as helping set up the displays.

The Girl Scouts’ mission is “building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”

“That’s what Girl Scouts is all about ­– helping each other and growing in leadership skills,” Woolman said.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Girl Scout Troop 1033 Co-leaders Bronwyn Woolman, left, and Trudy Mousseau stand by a uniform Woolman’s mother wore, and the one she wore as a little girl.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley These vintage badges are on loan from Wanda Frary Gougeon.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Girl Scout Troop 1033 Leader Bronwyn Woolman stands by a uniform her mother wore, and the one she wore as a little girl.